Adley Rutschman’s best month at the plate in a calendar year will wind down with the two-time All-Star catcher on the Orioles’ injured list.
Prior to Saturday’s game against the New York Yankees, the 27-year-old was placed on the 10-day IL with a strained left oblique. Rutschman was scratched from Friday’s starting lineup with what was initially called left abdominal tightness before he underwent an MRI that revealed the oblique injury. It’s the first IL stint of Rutschman’s major league career.
Baltimore recalled catcher Maverick Handley from Triple-A Norfolk to take Rutschman’s place on the 26-man roster. He will now back up former two-time All-Star selection Gary Sanchez, who will become the primary catcher.
It’s no secret the switch-hitting Rutschman has struggled at the plate since last summer as he owns a .210/.298/.329 slash line with 12 home runs over his last 557 plate appearances dating back to July 1 of last season. However, June had brought his most consistent month since the first half of last season with a .309/.381/.509 slash line in 63 plate appearances. Rutschman is batting .227 with eight home runs, 20 RBIs, and a .691 on-base plus slugging percentage in 276 plate appearances this season.
While it’s unclear how long Rutschman will be out, an extended absence would only increase calls for the Orioles to promote top prospect and Triple-A catcher Samuel Basallo. The 20-year-old is a consensus top-20 prospect in all of baseball and is batting .266 with 15 homers, 31 RBIs, and a .963 OPS for the Tides this season. However, he’s started a total of just 25 games as a catcher at Triple-A and has endured some health challenges that have restricted his time behind the plate.
Handley, 27, was optioned to Norfolk last weekend to make room for the returning Sanchez, who had been on the IL with right wrist inflammation since late April. Though considered a quality defensive catcher, the rookie Handley went 3-for-40 in his first stint in the majors.
