Coby Mayo started at third base Sunday afternoon in Denver after rejoining the Orioles on their expanded roster and he lined a single the opposite way for his second major league hit. He also scored his third run. He seemed comfortable in the box and in the field.
The Rockies started left-hander Ty Blach. The Orioles placed Ramón Urías on the 10-day injured list with a sprained right ankle. Mayo was pretty much a lock to be in the lineup.
Yesterday’s series opener against the White Sox offered a different story. Mayo sat while right-handed hitter Emmanuel Rivera played third base against right-hander Chris Flexen. Mayo didn't make an appearance in the blowout win.
I saw theories floated that Mayo could work in a platoon with left-handed hitting Nick Maton, who had his contract selected yesterday from Triple-A Norfolk, but they shared bench space yesterday. First base presents an option for Mayo with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list due to a sprained left wrist, and he’s made 21 starts with the Tides.
The Orioles might be hesitant to transfer that experiment to the majors, but it isn’t clear what they plan to do with him.