(Updated 11:10 p.m.)
BALTIMORE — Catcher Adley Rutschman is “day to day” after being scratched from the Orioles lineup with lower back discomfort minutes before first pitch of Friday’s 12-10 loss to Boston.
Rutschman was originally scheduled to start in the leadoff spot against left-handed opener Brennan Bernardino, but Colton Cowser instead hit in the top spot with backup catcher James McCann moving into the lineup and batting ninth. The 26-year-old Rutschman had started each of Baltimore’s previous three games, but he served as the designated hitter in Thursday’s win over the Red Sox, going 0-for-4 with a strikeout.
“He was hitting probably 30, 45 minutes before the game in the [batting] cage, and his back started bothering him,” manager Brandon Hyde said after Friday’s game. “We took him out of the lineup there. Late scratch, and ‘Mac’ caught. He’s day to day right now — I’m hoping. We’ll see.”
Despite a strong first half that resulted in his second All-Star Game appearance and first as a starter, the switch-hitting Rutschman endured the worst month of his career in July when he batted just .132 with a .482 on-base plus slugging percentage in 89 plate appearances. He’s rebounded in August to bat .300 with a .758 OPS in 45 plate appearances, but his struggles from the left side of the plate have persisted as he’s batted just .224 with a .654 OPS against right-handed pitching this season.
Rutschman has hit only one home run since the All-Star break with that coming on July 19.
“He’s scuffling a little bit. From the left side, it’s been kind of a tough month plus,” Hyde said Friday afternoon. “Right side, he’s swinging the bat well. … He’s grinding. He’s working on some things. The swings the last week have been a little bit better. You saw the line drive over the shortstop’s head a couple days ago. For me, that was a positive. That looked more like him. But he’s so good [that] I expect him to come out of it anytime soon.”
For the season, Rutschman is batting .267 with 17 homers, 16 doubles, 69 RBIs, and a .756 OPS, appearing in 112 of Baltimore’s 123 games.
