TORONTO -- Jorge Mateo is ready to go for the 2025 season.
The Orioles announced their 26-man Opening Day roster ahead of Thursday¡¯s opener vs. the Blue Jays in Toronto, and the most noteworthy inclusion was Mateo. The 29-year-old utility man has fully recovered from left elbow reconstruction surgery, which he underwent last August.
Mateo played five Grapefruit League games during Spring Training, then took live at-bats in Sarasota, Fla., earlier this week. It was initially unclear whether he¡¯d avoid a season-opening stint on the injured list, but he was confident all along that he would do so.
"Of course. I was preparing myself in Spring Training to try to be here for the first day," Mateo said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "I feel really good right now. I feel ready to compete."
The final spot in Baltimore¡¯s bullpen went to right-hander Bryan Baker, who edged out fellow righties Matt Bowman and Roansy Contreras.
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson (right intercostal strain) was placed on the 10-day injured list, while right-handers Grayson Rodriguez (elbow inflammation) and Andrew Kittredge (left knee surgery) went on the 15-day IL. All three would have made the team had they not gotten hurt this spring.
Here¡¯s the Orioles¡¯ full 26-man roster:
Catcher (2): Adley Rutschman, Gary S¨¢nchez
Rutschman, a two-time All-Star who had a tremendous spring, returns as the starting catcher for his fourth MLB season. S¨¢nchez signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal to serve as the backup catcher, and the 32-year-old right-handed hitter could get some DH at-bats against left-handed pitching.
First basemen (2): Ryan Mountcastle, Ryan O¡¯Hearn
The righty-hitting Mountcastle and lefty-hitting O¡¯Hearn will each continue to get starts at first base and will also factor into the DH rotation. O¡¯Hearn had an $8 million team option that was picked up by the Orioles in November.
Second baseman/shortstop (1): Jackson Holliday
The 21-year-old Holliday is the front-runner to be the starting second baseman after getting much more comfortable at the position this spring and working to better utilize his speed on the basepaths. However, he will slide over to shortstop early with Henderson opening the season on the injured list.
Second/third baseman (1): Jordan Westburg
A first-time All-Star in 2024, Westburg should primarily play third in his third big league season. But the 26-year-old will get some starts at second early with Henderson going on the IL, which shifts Holliday to shortstop and requires former Gold Glover Ram¨®n Ur¨ªas to start at third.
Utility infielders (2): Ram¨®n Ur¨ªas, Jorge Mateo
Mateo avoided the IL and is ready to go. In addition to playing some second base and shortstop, he could also get some time in the outfield, primarily in center.
Outfielders (5): Colton Cowser, Heston Kjerstad, Ram¨®n Laureano, Cedric Mullins, Tyler O¡¯Neill
The majority of starts will likely go to the trio of O¡¯Neill (who signed a three-year, $49.5 million deal in December), Mullins (a former All-Star and Silver Slugger) and Cowser (the 2024 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up).
But Kjerstad -- who provides left-handed power -- is expected to have an expanded role with his ability to play the corner spots and factor into in the DH mix. The right-handed-hitting Laureano (who signed a one-year, $4 million deal) has above-average arm strength and can fill in at all three outfield positions.
Starting pitchers (5): RHP Zach Eflin, RHP Dean Kremer, RHP Charlie Morton, RHP Tomoyuki Sugano, LHP Cade Povich
With Rodriguez set to open the season on the injured list, Povich earned the spot as Baltimore¡¯s No. 5 starter via his strong spring, meaning he'll start the home opener vs. the Red Sox on March 31. The 24-year-old left-hander will be on an MLB Opening Day roster for the first time.
Kyle Gibson, who signed a one-year, $5.25 million deal with the Orioles on Friday, will need to be built up before being inserted into the rotation.
Relief pitchers (8): RHP F¨¦lix Bautista (closer), LHP Keegan Akin, RHP Yennier Cano, RHP Seranthony Dom¨ªnguez, LHP Cionel P¨¦rez, LHP Gregory Soto, RHP Albert Su¨¢rez, RHP Bryan Baker
Bautista, an All-Star in 2023, missed all of the ¡®24 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 29-year-old felt good this spring and is ready to go, though he is unlikely to pitch on consecutive days or for multiple innings early in the season.
Baker beat out Bowman and Contreras for the final spot in the bullpen.
"I thought Bake threw the ball well," manager Brandon Hyde said of Baker's spring. "He was throwing harder than he usually does in Spring Training, and usually, the velo ticks up a little bit, too, as the season goes along. He was throwing 98, 99 mph the second week of camp. Like the changeup adjustment that he made."