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Baltimore Orioles Send Top Prospect Coby Mayo Back to Minors After MLB Struggles

Coby Mayo, the No. 1 prospect in the Baltimore Orioles' farm system, has lost his spot on the active roster after recording just four hits in his first 17 MLB games.

Sam Connon

Mar 16, 2024; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo (86) scores a run during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium.
Mar 16, 2024; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles infielder Coby Mayo (86) scores a run during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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The Baltimore Orioles have optioned infielder Coby Mayo to Triple-A Norfolk, the team announced Saturday.

Mayo is currently ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the Orioles' farm system, as well as the No. 8 prospect in all of baseball. The 22-year-old was called up for the second time this season when rosters expanded to 28 players on Sept. 1, and he proceeded to appear in 10 of Baltimore's next 17 contests.

In those 10 appearances, however, Mayo hit .125 with a .317 OPS as the Orioles went 3-7. Mayo is now a .098 hitter with a .293 OPS and -0.7 WAR in 17 career MLB games, logging innings at both first and third base.

To round out their active roster down the stretch, Baltimore selected the contract of outfielder Daniel Johnson. The Orioles signed Johnson to a minor league contract back in January, fresh off minor league stints with the Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets, Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres.

The Baltimore Banner's Adam Kostka was the first to report that Mayo's demotion was imminent.

Emmanuel Rivera will continue to hold down the fort at third base, while Ryan O'Hearn will take on the full load at first until Ryan Mountcastle returns from his rehab assignment. Livan Soto is the lone infielder on Baltimore's bench for the time being.

The Orioles' magic number sits at three with eight games left in the season. The last time Baltimore clinched back-to-back postseason berths was in 1996 and 1997.

The club can get one step closer to breaking that streak – without Mayo – by besting the Detroit Tigers on Saturday. First pitch from Camden Yards is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon

SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a Staff Writer for Fastball on the Sports Illustrated/FanNation networks. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's All Bruins, 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' Bruin Blitz, the Bleav Podcast Network and the Daily Bruin, with his work as a sports columnist receiving awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for Sports Illustrated/FanNation's New England Patriots site, Patriots Country, and he was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk.

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