Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman has returned less than two weeks after an ankle issue led to him being placed on the injured list.
Prior to Tuesday’s game in Kansas City, Baltimore activated the two-time All-Star selection, who missed only the minimum 10 days after injuring his left ankle against San Francisco on April 10. Rutschman was off to a good start and had collected three hits in the same game he hurt the ankle, which landed him on the IL the following day. He was one of three Orioles position players to be lost that weekend with outfielder Tyler O’Neill (concussion) and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle (foot) also being sidelined.
To make room on the 26-man roster, the Orioles designated reserve catcher Sam Huff for assignment. Samuel Basallo had started eight of the last 10 games behind the plate, but Rutschman’s return means the rookie will likely revert to serving as the primary designated hitter against right-handed starters when he isn’t spelling the veteran. Basallo reached base four times and drove in a pair of critical runs in Monday’s 7-5 win over the Royals in 12 innings.
In 39 plate appearances this season, the switch-hitting Rutschman owns a slash line of .294/.385/.471 with six doubles, three RBIs, and five walks. The Orioles are hoping that’s a sign of the 28-year-old putting the previous 1 1/2 seasons behind him and getting back to the high-impact hitter he was over the first two calendar years of his major league career. This marked the third IL stint for Rutschman going back to last June as he missed substantial time with oblique strains to each side last season.
In 365 plate appearances in 2025, Rutschman batted just .220 with nine home runs, 29 RBIs, and a .673 OPS.
