Two days after placing three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman on the 10-day injured list, the Orioles decided rookie backstop Samuel Basallo would need to join him.
Minutes before the start of Wednesday’s doubleheader against Boston, Baltimore placed the 21-year-old Basallo on the IL with the right shoulder inflammation that forced him out of Sunday’s win in Houston and kept him out of Monday’s series opener at Fenway Park. Manager Craig Albernaz had been noncommittal when asked about Basallo’s availability earlier Wednesday, which proved to be a tell that the Orioles were about to place the other half of their formidable catching duo on the shelf.
Outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take Basallo’s spot on the 26-man roster.
The timing of missing both Rutschman and Basallo is brutal with the Orioles trying to make a push to get back to .500 and better position themselves to be buyers ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. For the time being, Baltimore will need to rely on the catching tandem of Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp. This is the first IL stint of Basallo’s career while Rutschman is on the IL for the fifth time in the last 13 months.
In 311 plate appearances this season, the rookie Basallo is batting .241 with 16 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .756 on-base plus slugging percentage.
