The Baltimore Orioles are going for the series sweep against the Pittsburgh Pirates without their usual shortstop in the lineup. Jorge Mateo was given the day off for Sunday’s interleague matinee.
Ready for a matinee. pic.twitter.com/H9MhJJBjbQ
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 14, 2023
Mateo has come back down to earth after setting the league on fire early. The Dominican Republic native has just two hits over his past 35 plate appearances, striking out ten times over that stretch. Still, Mateo is above his career benchmarks in batting average and slugging percentage, implying ongoing correction could be imminent.
Joey Ortiz is slotted to replace Mateo against the Pirates and is batting ninth. According to the MLB Pipeline, Ortiz is the 99th-rated prospect and has two hits in eight at-bats already this year.
Baltimore has made up ground in the ultra-competitive AL East but is in tough for Sunday’s finale. FanDuel Sportsbook has the O’s lined as -108 pick’ems against Pittsburgh, with the total set at 8.
