The Orioles are bringing second baseman Connor Norby to Toronto, presumably to replace Jorge Mateo, who is in concussion protocol. Norby and left-handed reliever Nick Vespi were reported by several of my colleagues on the Orioles beat to be on the way to Toronto.
Norby’s addition to the Orioles was confirmed by an industry source.
Mateo was in concussion protocol after Sunday’s game. He was hit in the back of the batting helmet by Cedric Mullins while in the on-deck circle. He could be placed on the 7-day concussion injured list.
Norby, who will turn 24 on Saturday, was the Orioles’ second-round draft choice in 2021 and has yet to play in the major leagues.
He’s batting .286 with an .884 OPS with nine home runs and 36 RBIs with Triple-A Norfolk. Last season, Norby hit .290 with 21 home runs and 92 RBIs with the Tides.
Like Mateo, Norby is a right-handed hitter. Jackson Holliday, who remains the top prospect in minor league baseball, is a left-handed hitter. In 10 games with the Orioles in April, Holliday hit .059 (2-for-34).
Holliday is hitting .283 with Norfolk, and while he slumped initially when demoted, he’s hitting .412 (7-for-17) in his last six games.
Vespi has had three brief stints with the Orioles this season and has thrown a scoreless inning.
The Orioles haven’t announced these moves. Norby will be added to the 40-man roster and it’s not known who Vespi will be replacing on the roster.