Baltimore Orioles' Jorge Mateo Suffers Gruesome Elbow Injury, X-Rays Negative

Gunnar Henderson and Jorge Mateo both dove for a ground ball up the middle on Tuesday night, leading to the Baltimore Orioles losing their second baseman for the rest of the contest.

Jul 11, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jorge Mateo (3) throws to first base after the putout of Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong (52) at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

For the second time this summer, Jorge Mateo has fallen victim to some friendly fire.

It all started when Miami Marlins right fielder Jesús Sánchez sent a ground ball up the middle with nobody out in the bottom of the third on Tuesday night. Two Baltimore Orioles infielders made a play on the ball – Mateo and shortstop Gunnar Henderson.

Henderson made the sliding stop, but Mateo crashed into him regardless. The second baseman's arm got caught under Henderson's leg, taking his glove clean off and forcing his arm to bend the wrong way.

🚨🚨Not for the faint of heart:

Jorge Mateo's arm probably isn't meant to bend like that in his collision with Gunnar Henderson. pic.twitter.com/7lTKUmu9aa

— Avi Miller 🟦 (@AviMiIIer) July 23, 2024

Mateo was removed from the contest with a left elbow injury. Jordan Westburg slid over the second in his place, while Ramón Urías came in to play third.

The Orioles went on to lose 6-3.

Manager Brandon Hyde said after the game that the initial X-rays on Mateo's arm came back negative, and that he has been labeled day-to-day. Further testing is required, though, and Mateo is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine next steps.

Back on June 2, Mateo got hit in the head by Cedric Mullins' bat after he bent over in the on-deck circle. Mateo was forced out of that contest as well, and he wound up hitting the 7-day concussion injured list the next day.

It remains to be seen if Mateo will need to spend more time on the injured list in order to let his elbow heal.

According to MASN Sports' Roch Kubatko and The Baltimore Banner's Andy Kostka, infield prospect Connor Norby is expected to join the Orioles in Miami in case Mateo is unable to go Wednesday or Thursday. Norby, who is ranked as the No. 3 prospect in Baltimore's farm system, made his MLB debut during Mateo's absence in June.

Through 68 appearances this season, Mateo is batting .229 with a .668 OPS, outpacing his figures from both 2022 and 2023. The 29-year-old has recorded five home runs, 18 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 2024, as well as a 0.8 WAR.

First pitch between the Orioles and Marlins on Wednesday is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. ET.

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