41 articles
BAL • Catcher • #35
about 1 month 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
about 1 month 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
about 2 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
about 2 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
about 2 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
about 2 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
2 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
3 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
3 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
3 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
3 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
3 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
4 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
5 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
5 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.
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 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.
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
Rutschman will sit out his second consecutive contest due to left abdominal tightness with Gary Sánchez handling the catching duties on Saturday afternoon at Yankee Stadium against his former club. The 27-year-old backstop was scratched from Friday’s lineup out of an abundance of caution with Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino telling reporters that he’ll undergo an MRI this weekend to determine the severity of the issue. Mansolino added that top prospect Samuel Basallo, who has been tearing the cover off the ball for Triple-A Norfolk recently, has not been discussed as a potential replacement if Rutschman misses time. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day heading into Sunday’s series finale while preparing for the possibility that he’ll require a trip to the injured list.
Source: MLB.com
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
Jackson Holliday, who was slated to get the night off against a left-hander, was inserted into the O’s lineup and into the leadoff spot to replace Rutschman. It doesn’t sound like it’s something they’re overly concerned about, but fantasy managers should be sure to monitor his status through the weekend.
Source: Matt Weyrich
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
There weren’t a lot of positive takeaways for the Orioles during this one-sided affair, but Rutschman managed to sneak a towering blast over the right-field wall in the fourth inning for his eighth big fly of the season. Unfortunately, it represented the lone tally on the night for Baltimore as Ryan Pepiot twirled an impressive eight-inning gem.
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
As a team the Orioles were only able to scratch out one run on eight hits in the contest against Jacob Lopez and company. Rutschman walked in the first inning, singled in the third and singled in the fifth before being retired for the first time on a ground ball back to the mound in the seventh. With his two-hit effort, the 27-year-old backstop is now hitting .227/.321/.374 with seven homers and 18 RBI on the season.
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
Rutschman launched a 337-foot home run off Bryan Woo that left the bat at 103.5 mph, his seventh of the season. He also had a 106.6 mph single and a 105.3 mph lineout on the day. The 27-year-old struggled to start the year, but nothing in his underlying metrics suggested he should have been. Since the calendar has flipped to June, Rutschman is 7-for-13 with two home runs, three RBI, and four runs scored. The buy-low window may be closing.
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
Emerson Hancock made just one mistake Wednesday, but that one mistake was a cookie-cutter breaking-ball down the middle of the plate that Rutschman ambushed for a solo homer. The former first-overall pick has just six homers in 2025, and he’s driven in only 16 runs. There’s no denying Rutschman is talented, but fantasy managers can’t put their full confidence in Rutschman right now.
BAL • Catcher • #35
5 months ago
Rutschman needed this one as he was on a 2-for-19 slump at the plate. He collected three hits on the day, scoring twice for the Orioles on their way to a 5-1 win over the Mariners. The 27-year-old backstop is hitting .214/.307/.339 with five homers, 24 runs scored, and 15 RBI across 218 plate appearances.
BAL • Catcher • #35
6 months ago
It’s an extremely encouraging sign that Rutschman is feeling well enough to rejoin Baltimore’s lineup at DH on Wednesday night after taking a foul ball of his catcher’s mask over the weekend. The 27-year-old backstop has been cleared for a potential concussion, which is the best possible news here. It might be a few games before he’s back behind the plate defensively, but the Orioles are glad to have his bat back in the lineup.