TAMPA, Fla. — In the weeks leading up to the All-Star break, Samuel Basallo was banging on the door between Triple-A and the major leagues so loudly that a promotion after the trade deadline appeared like a legitimate possibility.
There’s some doubt about that now.
Basallo, the Orioles’ top prospect, has an oblique injury and will not play in games for Triple-A Norfolk this weekend. Basallo, who last played Sunday, didn’t play for the Tides on Friday as he deals with right oblique discomfort. It’s unclear how serious Basallo’s injury is and whether he will need to be placed on Norfolk’s injured list.
The top catching prospect in baseball has dominated this season despite being only 20 years old — 6 1/2 years younger than the average player at Triple-A. The left-handed slugger is hitting .264 with a .975 OPS with 19 home runs and 48 RBIs in 62 games.
He’s improved as the season’s progressed and is putting up eye-popping numbers since the start of June. Over his past 28 games, Basallo is slashing .302/.420/.667 — good for a 1.087 OPS — with 18 walks and only 22 strikeouts.
The injury to Basallo is just the latest for the Orioles’ catching corps. Adley Rutschman (oblique), Maverick Handley (concussion), Chadwick Tromp (back) and Gary Sánchez (knee) are all on the injured list. Jacob Stallings and Alex Jackson, two backstops who weren’t on the roster a month ago, now make up the Orioles’ catching tandem. The catchers next in line are prospect Silas Ardoin (Triple-A) and David Bañuelos (taxi squad).
Rutschman is taking live batting practice this week, interim manager Tony Mansolino said Friday, and is expected to begin his minor league rehabilitation assignment next week. Tromp started his rehab assignment Friday in Low-A Delmarva. Sánchez is expected to be out until at least September, possibly for the remainder of the season.
The Orioles are taking a patient approach with Basallo because of his young age and inexperience behind the plate. He’s caught only 36 games in his Triple-A career as a result of several injuries and also learning to play first base.
“I don’t think you take a guy like Sammy Basallo and you bring him to the big leagues just because there’s a need,” Mansolino said in late June. “I think you bring a Sammy Basallo to the big leagues when he’s destroyed Triple-A in all facets of the game — his at-bats, his defense, his everything. So when he destroys Triple-A and he knocks the door down, to me, then he becomes part of the conversation. I don’t personally think you bring a guy to the big leagues with that type of profile until that happens.”
This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at jameyer@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.
