Baltimore Orioles Veteran Returns to Lineup, Opening Day Still Uncertain

The Baltimore Orioles have lost a lot of players to injury this spring, but they finally got one back on Sunday,

Jorge Mateo returned to the Orioles' starting lineup on Sunday, batting seventh and playing shortstop. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting in the sixth inning of Baltimore's 12-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Mateo's long-awaited comeback marked his first game action in nearly eight months.

He hadn't played since last July 23, when he collided with Gunnar Henderson while going for a ground ball. His elbow injury required season-ending surgery on Aug. 29, robbing the Orioles of a critical player down the stretch.

After months of rehab and being away from his teammates, Mateo was finally able to get back on the field over the weekend.

His overeagerness showed at the plate, however, as he grounded out on the first pitch he saw and struck out on three pitches (two of which were in the dirt) in his second at-bat.

While Mateo didn't contribute in the batter's box, he still made several plays on defense and felt good about his spring debut.

“I was so excited. Just to be there on the field with my teammates, that was unbelievable to me.”

Jorge Mateo felt great in his return. https://t.co/ZlXeuIT4TN pic.twitter.com/7nPjcQwdSB
— Orioles on MASN (@masnOrioles) March 16, 2025

"It was amazing. I was so excited," Mateo told MASN's Roch Kubatko. "Just to be there on the field with my teammates, that was unbelievable to me.”

Mateo was limited to just 68 games last year after topping 100 in each of the previous two seasons. He batted .229/.267/.401 with five home runs, 18 RBI and 13 stolen bases before getting sidelined shortly after the All-Star Break.

While the 29-year-old infielder wasn't able to help Baltimore during its playoff push, he wants to make up for lost time and be ready for Opening Day, although his availability is still up in the air.

"I hope so. That's the key right now," Mateo said. "Let's see how I feel this week and the week after that."

Mateo doesn't have much time before the Orioles' first game against the Toronto Blue Jays on March 27, but he's optimistic he'll be able to play. It will depend on how his elbow's feeling and whether he can do regular baseball activities without pain.

Either way, Mateo's status will be worth monitoring over the next few days to see if he's able to take the field in Toronto next week. If not, Baltimore still has plenty of infield depth with Henderson, Jackson Holliday and others, so there's no need to rush Mateo back if he needs more time.

If he stays healthy this year, he could be a difference-maker for the Orioles in what will likely be a tight AL East race.

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