Over the past several years and going back further to previous regimes, the term Norfolk shuttle has been a part of the Orioles baseball lexicon. And in some circles, there’s been debate about the long-term effects of constantly yo-yoing players between the majors and minors.
The shuttling back and forth most frequently involves pitchers that are unlucky enough to have options remaining when the club needs a fresh arm. But position players aren’t exempt from taking multiple rides on the shuttle over the course of the same season either.
This brings us to Ramon Urias, the Orioles’ 27-year-old middle infielder that has been optioned twice and recalled twice so far in 2021.