Mancini hits another milestone in comeback

BALTIMORE -- In what has been a powerful comeback year, Trey Mancini did what he does best again on Friday: He hit the ball.

This hit was different, however. This was hit No. 600.

Mancini singled to right-center field in the fourth inning of the Orioles’ 6-3 loss to the Rays at Oriole Park, setting up Austin Hays for a two-run knock two at-bats later that put Baltimore within 3-2 of Tampa Bay. With the hit, the first baseman became the sixth Oriole who began his career with the club to record his 600th hit in his first 583 career games, and the first to do so since Manny Machado in 2016.

“Trey’s done a lot of really cool things since he got called up here, and [having] been with one team so far in his career and put together some good years,” manager Brandon Hyde said on Saturday. “He’s got a lot more years left. … Cool to see him get that milestone last night.”

Now 29, Mancini has been with the Orioles since 2013, when Baltimore selected him in the eighth round of the Draft out of Notre Dame. In his fifth year in the Majors, Mancini has been vital to the Orioles’ offense as the team continues its rebuild. He ranks second in hits (120), doubles (28) and RBIs (63) and third in home runs (20) amongst all Baltimore batters.

While those numbers might not seem remarkable, they are for Mancini, whose 2021 campaign has marked his successful return to play after battling colon cancer in '20. By the All-Star break -- during which Mancini came in second in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby -- he had amassed 16 homers and a .791 OPS over 86 games.

“It’s definitely special,” Mancini said. “There were a lot of times last year where I wasn't sure that I was going to be able to have the opportunity to hit again, or get a hit again, so I make sure to appreciate every little milestone like that, especially after what I went through.”

Success for the Orioles hasn’t been measured in wins of late, particularly after their 19-game losing streak, which ended on Wednesday. But Mancini is one of a handful of players whose performances have been a bright point for Baltimore fans.

In his last seven games -- during which the Orioles have gone 2-5 -- Mancini is batting .345 (10- for-29) with two doubles and one RBI, having hit safely in each game and having scored six runs in that span.

So while 600 hits may not seem huge, especially in the same season that Joey Votto recorded his 2,000th hit and Miguel Cabrera notched his 500th home run, every hit, every at-bat and every moment matters to Mancini.

“It’s kind of like any other hit,” Mancini said. “It’s a round number, but to me it’s like any other hit. I had my 500th hit earlier this year, so I guess that’s a little more like a milestone since it’s halfway to 1,000, but like I said, given what I went through and the tough times I had last year, it’s something that I make sure to appreciate a little bit.”