Rich Dubroff

Orioles place Scott, Mateo on injured list, add Diplán, Valaika; Mancini is team’s choice for Clemente award

BALTIMORE—The Orioles placed left-handed pitcher Tanner Scott on the 10-day injured list because of a left knee sprain, and infielder Jorge Mateo on the 60-day injured list because of right lumbar inflammation. Mateo is clearly out for the remainder of the 2021 season, and Scott appears to be done as well.

The Orioles recalled right-hander Marcos Diplán from Triple-A Norfolk, and selected the contract of infielder Pat Valaika from Norfolk.

Scott, who has a 9.82 ERA since the All-Star break, has a 5-4 record with a 5.17 ERA. This is his second stint on the injured list because of a knee injury; he also was out early last month.

“I think it was affecting him,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “He felt like he didn’t have the same finish to his slider, and if you watched his last outing, his fastball velo was the same, but he had a tough time burying the slider.”

On Saturday, Scott replaced starter Keegan Akin in the seventh against the Blue Jays and allowed six runs in 1/3rd of an inning.

Scott was first placed on the injured list after an outing on July 31st against the Tigers at Comerica Park.

“Since that outing in Detroit, he really hasn’t quite been the same, and so we felt like it was the right thing to do for him to get off his feet,” Hyde said. “His season is probably over as well.”

Scott had a 2.78 ERA in the first half of the season.

“His first half was so good, getting left-handers and right-handers out,” Hyde said. “Pitching in big spots, getting a ton of strikeouts. He wasn’t getting the results he wanted the last month or two. He was trying to grind through to finish on a strong note. The knee just didn’t allow him to do that.”

Mateo, who twas claimed on waivers by the Orioles from the San Diego Padres on August 5th, hit .280 in 32 games with two home runs and eight RBIs and stole five bases in eight attempts.

“Very disappointing because this guy was getting a chance to play in the big leagues,” Hyde said. “Getting regular at-bats, and we were moving him around in the middle of the infield … loved the speed aspect, incredibly athletic. He’s got a little power. He’s disappointed because he was finally getting a chance to play and, unfortunately, we have to set him down for the rest of the year — somebody we’re excited about.”

Mateo had been slowed by the back injury.

“It’s something he was trying to play through for a couple of weeks,” Hyde said. “When you see him run, it’s not the burst of speed you see that he had when he first got here.”

Diplán, who was optioned to Norfolk after the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Toronto, is 1-0 with a 5.49 ERA in 16 games with the Orioles.

Valaika was outrighted to Norfolk to make room on the roster for Mateo and hit .192 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 71 games. In 27 games with the Tides, Valaika hit .225 with two home runs and seven RBIs.

Hyde said that left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, who’s on the 60-day injured list because of a sprained right ankle, will throw for Double-A Bowie on Saturday.

Mancini is Clemente nominee: Trey Mancini is the Orioles’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente award. According to the Orioles, it’s “the annual recognition of a player from each club who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, sportsmanship, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.”

Mancini, who had his final chemotherapy treatment for colon cancer on September 21, 2021, joined with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance and has established a foundation to help those facing illness and suffering from emotional trauma.

“It’s one of the greatest honors I’ve received in my entire career,” Mancini said.

“My sisters and I have talked for a couple of years about starting a foundation,” Mancini said. “We kind of got the [foundation] running before I was diagnosed with cancer. When the pandemic hit, it delayed it a little bit, but it’s always something we wanted to do. Since I got sick, I know what it’s like to go through an incredibly difficult time like that. Sometimes you can’t put into words how difficult is. To be there to get through it, you want to come out the other side and help everybody out going through a similar situation.”

Mancini has also worked on a back-to-school project, Blessings in a Backpack, and with the Boys and Girls Clubs.

Mancini  is one of just three Orioles — Cedric Mullins and Pedro Severino are the others — to stay on the 26-man roster for the entire season.

“A year ago from right now, I was in a pretty tough place, physically,” Mancini said. “When I finished treatments, I knew I had a lot of work to do. I didn’t want to broadcast it that much at the time, but I was sick I was a lot weaker than I had been. I had to work out, basically immediately after my treatments were over. I knew I didn’t have that much time to spare and think about things that just happened. I had to get to work.

“It’s basically been a year-and-a-half now straight of everyday hard work. I’m really glad physically how I’ve held up this year.”

Mancini is hitting .261 with 21 home runs and 61 RBIs and a .784 OPS.

With 19 games left before the end of the season, Mancini and his girlfriend, Sara Perlman, have plans for a normal offseason.

“Probably go into hiding these next couple of months, I think,’ Mancini said. “Sara and I are moving out west for the offseason, and we’re really excited to just get away for a couple of months and just enjoy everything.”

 

Rich Dubroff

Rich Dubroff grew up in Brooklyn as a fan of New York teams, but after he moved to Baltimore, quickly adopted the Orioles and Colts. After nearly two decades as a freelancer assisting on Orioles coverage for several outlets, principally The Capital in Annapolis and The Carroll County Times, Dubroff began covering the team fulltime in 2011. He spent five years at Comcast SportsNet’s website and for the last two seasons, wrote for PressBoxonline.com, Dubroff lives in Baltimore with his wife of more than 30 years, Susan.

View Comments

  • No, say it ain’t so- not Valaika! Was sooooo relieved when we sent him down, but like a bad penny he resurfaces. While you’re at it why not add Wilkerson,Joey Richert and Nolan Reihmold!! The Orioles love to hold on to proven failed players too long. Another manifestation of tanking!
    We definitely will get first draft pick now.

    • If you are really concerned with tanking, you should not be trashing the players who are not, in fact, throwing games but doing their best. Your quarrel is with the people who are evaluating the players, keeping them, promoting them, etc. If you're angry with decisions, you should be attacking the people making them, not insulting the people subject to them.

  • Why is Valaika with the club this time?
    Aren’t Bannon and Jones available to play, assuming Urias is still dealing with the leg issue?

    Dont we already know what Valaika can bring? If so, why not just platoon Bannon and Jones the rest of the way?

    I guess I’m the only one confused by this.

    • Bannon is only hitting.173 at Norfolk. And Bannon doesn’t play SS, Valaika can. Not very good at SS, but he’s adequate in a pinch. And Valaika does have some power against LH pitchers

    • Cool, but can’t Martin play? Batting .241 with 54 AB, 1 HR and a scorching 6 RBI this year.
      Rather see some fresh faces get a start. What are we going to do - lose some games?
      This revolving door of players is tough to follow. Desperate times.

    • Valaika has SOME power against LH pitchers. Hit 8 home runs last year in 60-projects to over 20 in a normal year. For want of better alternatives, he’s it. Won’t affect their playoff hopes

  • Valaika is the new Wilkerson, the bad penny that keeps resurfacing. No place on a rebuilding team. Wearing #11 is an insult to Doug DeCinces!

  • It’s nice watching good pitching. Cole still pounding the strike zone 99 mph with over 108 pitches.
    You get what you pay for.

    • The yanks are in a playoff race where every game matters. This is professional sports. They were recently slumping and need wins. They’re not just going to roll over in the 9th and soft toss batting practice to the Orioles because they feel sorry for them down 5 runs. I don’t like the yanks but I also don’t fault them for doing what they did to win the game.

    • As Bar says, the Yankees are a serious team in a playoff race. They have to give their closer regular work. Should the manager have waited until tonight or tomorrow when the lead might be 10 or 15 runs? The Yankees opened the series with a Cy Young-quality pitcher and we send out a soft-throwing late callup rookie to face him. They're showing a lot more respect for the game than we are. I'm no Yankee fan, but you can't fault them here.

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Rich Dubroff

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