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 1/3^rd 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 5^th, 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.”