MIAMI — It was only four games, but they offered Connor Norby an unshakable belief in what’s possible. Four games, three hits, one home run.

That was it for the infielder’s first taste of Major League Baseball. He was soon back at Triple-A Norfolk, where he hit consistently well once more, but four games were enough for Norby to learn a valuable lesson.

“The biggest thing I learned is I can play at this level,” Norby said.

For all his success in the minor leagues — and he’s had plenty of it, with a .908 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in Norfolk this year — there was no guarantee it would transfer to the majors until he stepped into the batter’s box as an Orioles player for the first time.

When Norby arrived in Miami to replace infielder Jorge Mateo, whose dislocated elbow landed him on the injured list, he came knowing he belonged. And, in his first game back, Norby’s opposite-field home run during Thursday’s 7-6 win in extra innings was another example of how quickly he has adapted to the higher level.

For an offense that has scuffled for much of July, Norby could provide a spark. He knows he’s capable of doing so.

“I still think there’s another level to me, as crazy as that sounds at times for me,” Norby said. “But I think there’s more in the tank, and trying to be as consistent as I can. The biggest thing here is helping us win games and doing my job here.”

Norby is arriving at a time when the Orioles are searching for offensive help. In July, entering Thursday, Baltimore had scored the joint third-fewest runs in the majors. The Orioles hit .177 with runners in scoring position before the series finale win against the Miami Marlins — the second worst.

They need a kick, and manager Brandon Hyde recognized it before Thursday’s game. He noted how players were putting pressure on themselves at the plate, a result of the weekslong slump that has hit most members of the lineup.

When asked whether Hyde would consider a reshuffle of sorts, to introduce more of Baltimore’s hot-hitting prospects into the lineup, he hesitated and ultimately left those questions to executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias.

“This game is already hard enough, and we’re in first place,” Hyde said. “To get younger? I don’t know.”

Mateo’s injury — which could cause him to miss significant time, Hyde said — forced the Orioles to get younger at one position. Norby is the like-for-like replacement for Mateo at second base. Now, more than ever, could bring a consistent run of playing time for a hitter who has patiently waited for an extended opportunity.

It could’ve been Jackson Holliday, who debuted earlier in the year and hit 2-for-34 before heading back down. It could’ve been Coby Mayo, Norby’s roommate, who is hitting .295 with a .954 OPS with the Tides.

But it’s Norby, the 24-year-old East Carolina product whose four-game sample left him confident ahead of what he hopes is a permanent stay.

“I’ve felt prepared from this year on,” Norby said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are down there, right? We all have to be a little patient. It can be frustrating, but we kind of lean on each other. We know our time’s coming, and it’s just when our name’s called, and just be ready for when that time comes. But we’re not bitter. We’re not feeling down on ourselves or anything like that. We’re still trying to get better, just like you are here. Everyone here is trying to get better, too, and that’s the goal.”

On Thursday, Norby was inserted into the lineup. He immediately produced, smacking his second home run in five games at this level.

To take any five-game sample as gospel would be to gloss over the reality of how difficult it is to produce consistently at this level. But Norby should get a chance to find out for himself whether this is sustainable. He, at least, feels he’s ready.