The Baltimore Orioles are set to get a major piece back into their lineup for tonight’s game against the New York Yankees.
Hours before first pitch, the Orioles are reinstating catcher Samuel Basallo from the 10-day injured list, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Basallo will make his return tonight at first base and bat fourth against Yankees right-hander Will Warren.
To clear space on the roster, Baltimore is optioning infielder Jeremiah Jackson to Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles will carry three catchers for now, with Basallo joining Carlos Narváez and Yohel Pozo on the active roster.
Basallo landed on the shelf with right shoulder inflammation after experiencing discomfort on a swing during an at-bat against the Houston Astros on July 19. He initially tried to play through the pain, but Baltimore placed him on the IL three days later.
The injury came at an especially unfortunate time, as president of baseball operations Mike Elias was still determining whether to buy or sell at the August 3 trade deadline. Without Basallo in the lineup, Baltimore’s offense struggled, and the team went 5-7 leading up to the deadline. That stretch ultimately helped push Elias toward selling.
The most notable move, of course, was trading franchise catcher Adley Rutschman to the Boston Red Sox for a haul of prospects. His departure officially opened the door for Basallo to take over as Baltimore’s everyday catcher.
That makes Basallo’s return even more significant. For the first time in his young career, he’s returning as Baltimore’s clear everyday catcher and a major piece of its future. The Orioles made that commitment clear last August, signing him to an eight-year, $67 million extension shortly after his major league debut.
And through the first half of this season, Basallo was showing why the Orioles were right to put that faith in him. In 282 at-bats this season, Basallo is hitting .241/.305/.450 with 16 home runs and a 110 wRC+.
At just 22-years-old, Basallo’s ceiling remains sky-high. He has the tools to develop into a 30-plus home run hitter without sacrificing his ability to hit for average.
With Baltimore opting to keep three catchers on the active roster, it can be flexible with how it handles Basallo coming off his shoulder injury. His bat is too valuable to keep out of the lineup, allowing the Orioles to rotate him between catcher, first base and designated hitter while still playing him every day.
The Orioles, despite selling at the deadline, are right in the thick of playoff contention. They enter play Wednesday just one game behind the Texas Rangers for the third AL wild-card spot.
While Baltimore is certainly within reach, the field is highly competitive, with seven teams vying for that final postseason spot. With Basallo back, the Orioles hope he can push their offense to greater heights and help carry them back into October.
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