Jorge Mateo News: Makes roster after all

The Orioles included Mateo (elbow) on their season-opening 26-man active roster, and he'll be available off the bench in Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Just one day earlier, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun noted that Mateo didn't have a locker in the visiting clubhouse at Rogers Centre, which seemed to suggest that the 29-year-old wouldn't be included on the Opening Day roster after logging just 11 at-bats in the Grapefruit League while recovering from UCL reconstruction surgery on his non-throwing elbow. However, Mateo told Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com that he feels ready to play after logging extra at-bats in Florida in recent days, and the Orioles are apparently confident enough in his health, too. Mateo projects to handle a utility role for the Orioles, with most of his starts likely to come against left-handed pitching.