The Baltimore Orioles are facing a significant setback behind the plate, placing 21-year-old catcher Samuel Basallo on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to inflammation in his right shoulder — and this comes at a time when the team is already without their starting catcher Adley Rutschman.
The roster move is dated back to Monday. To fill the opening on the active roster, the Orioles brought right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez up from their Triple-A affiliate in Norfolk.
Basallo had been putting together a strong first full year in the big leagues before the injury struck. Through 86 games, he has recorded 16 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a .241 batting average. He first showed signs of trouble when he exited Sunday’s game at Houston with right shoulder discomfort, and he sat out Monday’s series opener at Boston.
With Basallo unavailable, Sam Huff stepped in to catch Monday’s game and was again behind the plate Wednesday afternoon for the first game of a day-night doubleheader against Boston. Tuesday night’s scheduled contest was washed out by rain.
Rodriguez, 26, has appeared in five games with Baltimore this season, going hitless in seven at-bats while driving in one run. Prior to this stint, he played 44 games for the Cleveland Guardians in 2024-25, batting .176 with two home runs and 15 RBIs.
