Pat

Valaika

The 30-year-old hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since the 2021 season with the Orioles. He had been at Triple-A Tacoma where he was hitting .240/.343/.405 with four homers and 26 RBI in 38 games.

Valaika hasn’t appeared in the majors since getting into 90 games for the Orioles during the 2021 campaign. The 30-year-old veteran journeyman adds some extra organizational infield depth for the Mariners at Triple-A Tacoma.

Valaika had entered the game in place of Phil Gosselin, who went 0-for-3. With Brock Holt out of the mix, Valaika and Gosselin appear to be competing for the final spot on the Braves bench. Gosselin would have been the favorite a week ago, but Valaika has a couple of more hits this spring and offers a little more on defense.

He’ll presumably receive an invitation to spring training. Jon Heyman of MLB Network adds that Valaika will earn $775,000 this season if he makes the Braves’ major league roster. The 29-year-old infielder hit .201/.250/.290 with five homers in 281 plate appearances last year with the Orioles.

He refused an outright assignment by the Orioles, deciding to test things out on the open market instead. Valaika is a career .221/.264/.378 hitter over parts of six major league seasons.

Valaika has been removed from the Orioles’ 40-man roster after recorded a pedestrian .201/.250/.290 triple-slash line with 17 runs scored, five home runs, 25 RBI and one stolen base across 281 plate appearances at the major-league level this season. The 29-year-old will continue to serve as organizational depth for the rebuilding Orioles if he chooses to accept the outright assignment.

Valaika opened the scoring in the contest with his run-scoring double off of Jordan Lyles in the seventh inning. He then rode home on a two-run blast by Kelvin Gutierrez. The 28-year-old utilityman has really struggled at the dish this season, hitting just .202/.257/.283 with four homers and 22 RBI in 254 plate appearances.

It could be related to a recurrence of the upper leg issue that cost him five consecutive games earlier this month. Pat Valaika is now starting at second base and batting sixth against the Phillies, with Richie Martin in at shortstop and hitting seventh.

Urías has started six of the Orioles’ last seven games after missing a chunk of time due to upper leg soreness earlier this month. It’ll be Pat Valaika filling in at the keystone on Saturday afternoon at Fenway Park.

Valaika will make the start at shortstop in his return to the majors on Tuesday, as he replaces Jorge Mateo on the active roster. The 28-year-old has hit just .192/.251/.280 in 212 plate appearances with the Orioles this season and unfortunately isn’t a fantasy consideration.