50 articles
BAL • Catcher • #35
1 day ago
He still isn’t sure when he’ll return, but he has been running and going through drills without any issues over the past couple of days. He’s eligible to return from the injured list on Tuesday and there’s growing optimism that he could be ready then or shortly afterwards. Samuel Basallo and Maverick Handley will continue to handle the catching duties in his absence.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
6 days ago
Rutschman was placed on the 10-day injured list before Saturday’s game against the Giants, and it looks like this was just a precautionary measure for the backstop. It may not be an exact 10-day stint, but assuming no setbacks, there’s a great chance Rutschman is back behind the plate before the end of April.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 days ago
Rutschman was scratched from the lineup Saturday by the Orioles with soreness in his ankle, and Baltimore won’t play short-handed. Assuming no structural damage there’s a good chance Rutschman is back soon, but for now, Samuel Basallo will be the everyday backstop with Maverick Handley up to back Basallo up.
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 days ago
Rutschman was set to hit third against Logan Webb and the Giants, but he’ll get at least a day off due to the ankle ailment. Samuel Basallo is now catching, and Ryan Mountcastle will be the designated hitter with Rutschman out.
Source: Jacob Calvin Meyer
BAL • Catcher • #35
12 days ago
Rutschman will get a breather with Samuel Basallo catching Trevor Rogers. Gunnar Henderson will be the designated hitter, so Blaze Alexander gets the start at shortstop.
Source: Cordell Woodland
BAL • Catcher • #35
21 days ago
Rutschman will get his first breather of the season. The 28-year-old retreats to the bench with Samuel Basallo getting the nod behind the plate and Pete Alonso serving as the designated hitter.
Source: MLB.com
BAL • Catcher • #35
about 1 month ago
Rutschman got a high fastball from Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski and didn’t miss it, launching a 381-foot blast to right field for his second big fly of the spring. The 28-year-old backstop will cede occasional playing time to top prospect Samuel Basallo this season, but he’s locked in as Baltimore’s starting catcher, and is a top 12-15 range fantasy option at the position.
BAL • Catcher • #35
about 2 months ago
Rutschman went deep for the first time this spring, taking journeyman southpaw Martín Pérez to left-center field in the fourth inning. The 28-year-old is coming off a down year overall at the plate last season but a return to the 20-homer plateau isn’t out of the question if he manages to avoid the injured list.
BAL • Catcher • #35
3 months ago
Adley had a rough season, hitting .220/.307/.366 with nine home runs and 29 RBI in 90 games. However, his batted ball data and plate discipline suggested that he deserved far better. With the Orioles already committing to him as their starting catcher next season, Rutschman could be a solid bounce-back candidate in fantasy in 2026.
Source: Robert Murray
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
There were some questions about whether or not the Orioles were looking to turn things over to top prospect Samuel Basallo after Rutschman had a disappointing 2025 season, but that does not appear to be the case. Elias did imply that there is room for the team to have two good catchers, which means both Rutschman and Basallo should see regular playing time behind the dish. If the Orioles also move on from Ryan Mountcastle, then there could be additional at-bats at first base and/or designated hitter for Basallo in 2026.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
Rutschman has gone 1-for-11 with a triple in four games since returning from the injured list earlier this week following a five-week absence recovering from an oblique strain. Some signs of rust were inevitable since the 27-year-old backstop got only a handful of rehab contests under his belt prior to making it back to Baltimore. It’ll be top prospect Samuel Basallo handling the catching duties during Saturday afternoon’s matinee affair at Yankee Stadium.
Source: MLB.com
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
Rutschman is back handling the catching duties for the final week of the season following a five-week absence recovering from an oblique strain. The 27-year-old backstop has made a pair of trips to the injured list this year after managing to avoid the shelf during his first three seasons. He should be fully healthy heading into spring training and projects as a potential 20-homer bat and a logical bounce-back candidate.
Source: MLB.com
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
Rutschman is back from his second oblique strain after going 4-for-16 with a homer in four games for Triple-A Norfolk. One imagines he’ll start three or four games this week, with Samuel Basallo maybe DHing in a couple of those. Ryan Mountcastle figures to lose some at-bats.
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
Rutschman figures to make it back to Baltimore for the final week of the regular season after a couple rehab contests to get back up to speed. The 27-year-old backstop has been out since mid-August recovering from a right oblique strain.
Source: Matt Weyrich
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said Rutschman is likely to embark on a minor league rehab assignment this week. There isn’t much time for him to make it back to Baltimore, but it sounds like there’s a chance he returns for the final week of the season.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
7 months ago
If Rutschmann is about to make it back, it will likely be for only the final week of the season. Gary Sánchez could beat him back next week to share time with Samuel Bassallo.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
8 months ago
Rutschman hit the injured list for the second time this season when he was diagnosed with right oblique strain earlier this week. The 27-year-old backstop told reporters he believes he’ll make it back more quickly than the previous left oblique issue that kept him out for more than five weeks. It’ll be top prospect Samuel Basallo, who just inked an eight-year, $67 million contract extension this weekend, taking over as Baltimore’s starting catcher in his absence.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
8 months ago
Orioles’ skipper Tony Mansolino clarified on Thursday that this oblique strain is the opposite side of the past one that Rutschman dealt with. No word on how long he’ll be shelved for. Daniel Johnson was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move on Thursday. Samuel Basallo will start behind the plate in his place on Thursday and will bat sixth against Astros’ right-hander Jason Alexander. Expect him to share the load behind the plate with Alex Jackson while Rutschman is out.
BAL • Catcher • #35
8 months ago
It’s Alex Jackson, not Samuel Basallo, taking over behind the plate on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. Obviously any sort of extended absence would result in Basallo taking over as Baltimore’s primary catcher and significantly boost his fantasy appeal for a couple weeks. There should be an update on his status at some point prior to Thursday’s series opener against the Astros.
Source: Matt Weyrich
BAL • Catcher • #35
8 months ago
It’s a routine day off for Rustchman with a day game following a night game. The 27-year-old has slowly started to turn things around in the second half, slashing .255/.316/.451 in 14 games since the All-Star break. That comes with one home run, six runs scored, and seven RBI, so he’s not lighting the world on fire, but the on-field production is starting to catch up to the underlying numbers.
BAL • Catcher • #35
8 months ago
Rutschman got the Orioles going with a two-run shot in the first that was followed up by a solo blast from Ryan Mountcastle. After those two homers, they wouldn’t score another run in this game. In fact, they only got one other runner in scoring position. Still, it was nice to see Rutschman go deep for the first time since June 16th.
BAL • Catcher • #35
9 months ago
That’ll do. Rutschman looked locked-in during his return to Baltimore’s lineup following a five-week absence recovering from an oblique strain. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone doubled twice as part of a three-hit effort. It’s been a down year overall from an offensive standpoint, but the fact that he’s healthy and well-rested heading into the home stretch is a nice development for fantasy managers.
BAL • Catcher • #35
9 months ago
Rutschman missed just more than five weeks with his oblique strain. Even though he hasn’t been great offensively in batting .227/.319/.372, his return will give the Orioles a big lift, and it’s possible he’ll be more productive down the stretch. Jacob Stallings has been DFA’d, so Alex Jackson will back Rutschman up until Gary Sánchez returns.
BAL • Catcher • #35
9 months ago
Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino confirmed Sunday that Rutschman will complete his rehab assignment this weekend and rejoin the team for Monday’s series opener at Camden Yards. The 27-year-old’s first career injured list stint in late June plunged Baltimore’s catching situation into complete disarray. Even if he’s been underwhelming at the plate this season from a fantasy perspective, his return should provide a stabilizing presence behind the dish.
Source: Jacob Calvin Meyer
BAL • Catcher • #35
9 months ago
Rutschman will kick off his rehab assignment on Tuesday night with Triple-A Norfolk and it sounds like there’s optimism he’ll make it back to Baltimore later this week. The 27-year-old backstop has been out since late June recovering from a left oblique strain. His absence has created a Grand Canyon-sized hole in the Orioles’ catching mix over the last month.
Source: Matt Weyrich
BAL • Catcher • #35
9 months ago
Rutschman is scheduled to take live batting practice on Sunday before heading out to Triple-A Norfolk to get some minor league at-bats under his belt. The 27-year-old franchise cornerstone has been out since late June recovering from a left oblique strain. It’ll likely be a brief rehab assignment, but he’s going to need at least a couple games to get back up to speed.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
9 months ago
Rutschman has been able to play catch and due some running and has played catch, but hasn’t progressed further than that. The 27-year-old will assuredly be back through the All-Star break, and then there’s a chance — but no guarantee — he could be back behind the plate by the end of July.
Source: Roch Kutbako
BAL • Catcher • #35
10 months ago
He is still not yet swinging a bat, which will be the main step in his return from an oblique injury. At this point, the Orioles still feel confident that he will return soon after the All-Star break, but we’ll need to see him start swinging before we share their confidence.
Source: MLB.com
BAL • Catcher • #35
10 months ago
Fantasy managers shouldn’t expect Rutschman back until after next month’s Midsummer Classic, which takes place on July 15 in Atlanta. The 27-year-old backstop hit the shelf earlier this weekend for the first time in his career with what Mansolino described as a “mild” left oblique strain. However, he’s still going to miss at least a couple weeks. The frustrating development here is that the Orioles seemingly aren’t considering promoting top prospect Samuel Basallo to fill the void and will instead roll with veteran Gary Sánchez and rookie Maverick Handley as his caddy.
Source: Jake Rill
BAL • Catcher • #35
10 months ago
Rutschman underwent an MRI on Saturday morning that revealed an oblique strain after being scratched from Friday’s lineup with left abdominal tightness. Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters that top prospect Samuel Basallo is not being considered as a call up while Rutschman is sidelined. It’ll be Gary Sánchez and Maverick Handley taking over the catching duties. No word on the severity of the strain, which will determine how much time he misses, but fantasy managers should anticipate a multi-week absence, even in a best-case scenario. It’s the first time Rutschman has required a trip to the injured list since arriving in the big leagues back in 2022.