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Jeff Passan, ESPN
The Baltimore Orioles on Monday known as up superutilityman Connor Norby, the newest standout prospect to hitch among the finest groups in baseball.
Norby, 23, has performed second base and each corner-outfield spots this yr at Triple-A, the place he hit .286/.374/.510 with 9 residence runs and 36 RBIs. He’s the newest high Orioles prospect to get known as up this season, becoming a member of Jackson Holliday (No. 2 on Kiley McDaniel’s up to date high 50), Heston Kjerstad (No. 47) and Kyle Stowers. Each Holliday and Kjerstad have since been despatched again to the minors.
Norby stuffed in at second base for Jorge Mateo, who was hit within the head Sunday by a Cedric Mullins swing within the on-deck circle, in Monday’s 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. He batted ninth and went 0 for 3 with two swinging strikeouts earlier than he was changed by Ramon Urías within the backside of the seventh.
“He did high-quality,” Orioles supervisor Brandon Hyde mentioned of Norby. “Good to get his first begin, I am positive, and his first few at-bats out of the way in which. He’ll be again in there tomorrow.”
Mateo was positioned on the 7-day concussion injured checklist Monday.
In beginning Monday’s recreation, Norby stuffed out a totally homegrown Orioles infield. It additionally options Adley Rutschman at catcher, Ryan Mountcastle at first base, Gunnar Henderson at shortstop and Jordan Westburg at third.
The Orioles selected Norby out of East Carolina within the second spherical of the 2021 draft, and he has achieved nothing however hit within the minor leagues.
In Norby’s first full season in 2022, he hit 29 residence runs whereas ascending from Excessive-A to Triple-A, the place he spent all of 2023 and the primary 51 video games this season. The proper-handed-hitting Norby will should be added to the Orioles’ 40-man roster earlier than formally becoming a member of the group for its collection in Toronto that begins Monday.
Baltimore, which at 37-20 owns the fourth-best document in baseball, is three video games behind the New York Yankees for first place within the American League East division.
The Related Press contributed to this story.