ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - -Michael Aubrey's 2009 was already a whirlwind.
Now it could become a season of redemption, with a second chance for the former first-rounder to play in the majors.
"It's a good feeling," said Aubrey, 27, a left-handed-hitting first baseman who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday. "This is what you play for. You play to play in the big leagues."
Aubrey, who came to the Orioles from the Cleveland Indians for future considerations June 24, batted .290 with eight homers, 29 doubles and 52 RBIs in 101 games for the Tides and Cleveland's Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers.
This is Aubrey's second stint in the majors; he had nine hits in 45 at-bats last year with the Indians, the team that selected him 11th overall in the 2003 amateur draft.
"Now that you are in the big leagues, you have to do what you can do to stay," said Aubrey, whose promising career had been stunted before 2008 by various injuries. "Make people believe that you belong."
Aubrey takes the roster spot of first baseman Aubrey Huff, who was traded to the Detroit Tigers for a minor league pitcher Monday. How much Aubrey will play for the Orioles hasn't been determined, manager Dave Trembley said.
"I don't know what his role is," Trembley said. "He is a left-handed hitter, he plays first base and he [is a designated hitter]. We'll have to get him in the lineup accordingly and kind of go from there a little bit. I don't know if he will be an everyday player."
With left-hander David Price starting for the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday, right-hander Ty Wigginton played first and Luke Scott was the DH.
Trembley said Aubrey will start tonight but didn't reveal whether it would be at first or DH.
Draft recap
The amateur signing period for draft picks ended at midnight Monday with the Orioles coming to terms with 29 of their 50 picks; nine of their top 10; 21 of their top 25; and 25 of their top 30.
Second-round pick Mychal Givens, a high school shortstop from Tampa, was the last to sign, inking an $800,000 deal late Monday night. Givens will take his team physical in Tampa either today or Thursday and will attend Thursday's game at Tropicana Field as a guest of the Orioles.
The club spent just under $8.8 million on its picks, believed to be the second highest in franchise history behind 2007's allocation, which included a total of $7.1 million to two players - Matt Wieters and Jake Arrieta.
