Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Starting rehab assignment Sunday
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Basallo (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Shoulder inflammation has kept Basallo on the shelf for most of the second half, but after getting the green light to resume taking batting practice Friday, the young backstop is now ready to test his shoulder in a game setting. The Orioles have traded Adley Rutschman to Boston since Basallo landed on the injured list, so the latter should have minimal competition for starts behind the plate once he's cleared to return. Basallo should also see ample playing time as a designated hitter on his non-catching days.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Takes batting practice Friday
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Basallo (shoulder) is taking live batting practice Friday at Tropicana Field ahead of the Orioles' game against the Rays, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Basallo has been sidelined since July 19 due to right shoulder inflammation, but he's now swinging a bat and is expected to head out on a rehab assignment in the very near future. Basallo just turned 22 years old Thursday and owns a .756 OPS with 16 home runs, 46 RBI, 34 runs scored and a 26:82 BB:K across 311 trips to the plate this season. Carlos Narvaez and Yohel Pozo have been handling catching duties while Basallo is out.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Nearing rehab assignment
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Manager Craig Albernaz said Tuesday that Basallo (shoulder) is close to participating in both his catching and hitting progressions and could be cleared for a rehab assignment within the next two weeks, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
The 21-year-old was shut down in late July after receiving an injection to help his right shoulder inflammation, and he appears close to being cleared for most baseball activities. Given that he'll require a rehab assignment and still has at least a few steps before getting to that point, Basallo is tracking toward a return from the injured list in the second half of August.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Expected to resume hitting soon
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Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias said Friday that Basallo (shoulder) will resume hitting within the next couple days, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Basallo has been shut down for more than a week and received an injection to help his right shoulder inflammation subside. There is currently no timeline for his return, and Basallo could require a rehab assignment if his absence drags on much longer.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Evaluation coming during homestand
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Basallo (shoulder) will be reassessed to resume baseball activities during the Orioles' upcoming homestand, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Basallo has been shut down from all activities due to an inflamed right shoulder that sent him to the injured list last Wednesday. The Orioles will begin a series at home against Philadelphia on Friday. At that point, Basallo could be cleared to begin ramping up, and a clearer timeline for his return may be established.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Sent to IL with inflamed shoulder
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The Orioles placed Basallo on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with right shoulder inflammation.
The Orioles had seemed optimistic that Basallo could return to action in short order, but they've opted to play things conservatively. Basallo will be eligible for activation July 31, and he has a good chance to be ready to go on that date if all goes well on his rehab. With Adley Rutschman (wrist) also out, the Orioles are down to Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp at catcher.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: On bench with shoulder injury
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Basallo (shoulder) is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Red Sox, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Southpaw Payton Tolle is on the mound for Boston, so the left-handed-hitting Basallo's absence from the lineup doesn't come as a major surprise, especially after the young backstop exited Sunday's 5-2 win over the Astros in the second inning due to right shoulder discomfort. Adley Rutschman (wrist) is also receiving a second straight game off, so the Orioles will go with third-string catcher Sam Huff behind the dish Monday.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Leaves game early Sunday
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Basallo exited Sunday's game against Houston early with right shoulder discomfort, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports.
After just one at-bat in the top of the second inning, Basallo was pulled from the game due to discomfort in his right shoulder. Sam Huff has replaced Basallo behind the plate.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Belts go-ahead homer Friday
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Basallo went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 5-3 win over the Royals.
Friday's game was tied 3-3 in the eighth inning, but Basallo changed that with one swing of the bat, crushing a two-run homer to right field to give the Orioles a two-run lead that they did not relinquish. The 21-year-old is up to 15 home runs this season, which is tied with Drake Baldwin for fourth-most among catchers behind Hunter Goodman (27), Shea Langeliers (20) and Dillon Dingler (thumb) (19). Basallo has a .770 OPS with 44 RBI across 293 plate appearances in 2026.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: On bench Sunday
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Basallo is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Reds, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Basallo hasn't started against a lefty since June 3, though including Sunday, Baltimore has faced just five southpaw starters during that stretch. The rookie catcher has a .258/.329/.485 slash line with five homers, 15 RBI and six runs in his past 19 contests. Coby Mayo is batting fifth as the designated hitter in Sunday's series finale versus Nick Lodolo.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Goes deep again in win
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Basallo went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk in Saturday's 8-5 win over the Reds.
Basallo opened the scoring with a three-run blast off Hunter Greene. It was the 21-year-old's second straight game with a homer, and he's now gone deep four times over his past nine contests. While he still tends to sit against lefties, Basallo is slashing .257/.322/.470 with 14 homers, 42 RBI and 31 runs scored across 276 plate appearances in what has been a strong rookie campaign.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Cracks two-run homer in win
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Basallo went 1-for-3 with a walk and a two-run home run in Friday's 3-0 win over the Reds.
Friday's series opener was a low-scoring affair, so Basallo's two-run shot off Brady Singer in the fifth inning was a crucial one for the Orioles, who entered the game having lost four straight. It was the 13th home run of the season for Basallo, which is tied with Carter Jensen for fourth most among rookies this season. Basallo has gone 13-for-51 (.255) with three home runs and 10 RBI over his last 15 games.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Idle against lefty
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Basallo is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the White Sox, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
The Orioles have been giving the left-handed-hitting Basallo more exposure to same-handed pitching in recent weeks, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday while southpaw Noah Schultz starts for the White Sox. With Basallo taking a seat, Adley Rutschman will handle catching duties and Pete Alonso will serve as the Orioles' designated hitter.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Returning to lineup
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Basallo (wrist) will start at catcher and bat fifth in Thursday's tilt versus the Mariners.
Basallo has been out of the lineup for the past three games as he deals with a bony growth in his left wrist, but he had a few plate appearances off the bench during that stretch and is now ready to return to the Orioles' lineup. The 21-year-old has collected a .801 OPS with nine home runs across 199 plate appearances for Baltimore this season.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Absent from Baltimore lineup
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Basallo (wrist) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Mariners.
Basallo pinch hit each of the last two days, but he will be out of the starting nine for a third straight day as he deals with discomfort in his left wrist brought about by a bony growth. Adley Rutschman (hamstring) is also out again Wednesday, leaving catching duties to Sam Huff and the designated hitter role to Tyler O'Neill.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Managing wrist issue
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Basallo is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Mariners due to left wrist pain, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
According to Jake Rill of MLB.com, Basallo has dealt with some discomfort and pain in his left wrist throughout most of his life, and he was diagnosed with a bony growth in the wrist Monday after the issue resurfaced. The 21-year-old should now have better path to treatment and could look for a more permanent solution during the offseason.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Not in Saturday's lineup
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Basallo (abdomen) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against Toronto.
Basallo will officially miss a start after exiting Friday's game with right abdominal discomfort. Sam Huff was selected from Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday to provide depth at catcher in case Basallo needs to spend time on the injured list, though it remains unknown whether that will be necessary. Taylor Ward will work as Baltimore's DH in place of Basallo on Saturday, opening up left field for Blaze Alexander.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Exits with abdominal discomfort
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Basallo was removed from Friday's game against Toronto with right abdominal discomfort, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.
Basallo went 0-for-2 at the plate before exiting the game in the sixth inning. It's unknown whether his injury will force him to miss additional starts, though the Orioles could provide some clarity after the game.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Sitting again versus lefty
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Basallo is not in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.
Taylor Ward is getting a day at designated hitter and Blaze Alexander will play left field against Blue Jays southpaw Patrick Corbin. It's the second straight day Basallo has been out of the lineup and fourth consecutive game against a lefty that he has not started.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Sitting out versus left-hander
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Basallo is out of the lineup for Monday's game versus the Rays.
The left-handed-hitting Basallo will get a break as the Rays send southpaw Shane McClanahan to the bump. Adley Rutschman will do the catching, Gunnar Henderson is getting a start at designated hitter and Blaze Alexander will slide into the lineup at shortstop for the Orioles on Monday.
