Orioles sign Ryan Ripken

TAMPA - The Orioles are breaking camp later today, but they're not done making roster moves.

The club announced that it signed infielder Ryan Ripken, son of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., to a contract with short-season Single-A Aberdeen - which is owned by his father. He'll report to extended spring training in Sarasota to prepare for his new assignment.

This is a reunion in a couple of ways. Not only is Ryan Ripken, 23, back in the organization for which his father played for 21 seasons - he often visited Camden Yards as a kid - he's under contract five years after the Orioles drafted him in the 20th round out of Gilman in Baltimore.

His uncle Billy played second base for the Orioles and his grandfather Cal Sr. managed and coached the team.

Ripken accepted a scholarship from the University of South Carolina rather than sign with the Orioles, and he later transferred to Indian River State in Florida after failing to make the Gamecocks roster as a freshman.

The Nationals chose Ripken in the 15th round in 2014.

Listed at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, Ripken played for short-season Single-A Auburn and Single-A Hagerstown last summer and batted .201/.241/.254 with 13 doubles, two triples, one home run and 34 RBIs in 58 games. He spent 2014 and 2015 in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League and is a career .205/.248/.277 hitter in three minor league seasons.

Ripken, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his last game for Auburn on Sept. 5, plays first base and bats from the left side of the plate. Slightly different than his father.

The IronBirds open their season at home on June 19 versus Hudson Valley.