Samuel Basallo is back on the Orioles’ active roster, and he’s already being thrown into the middle of the action.
Reinstated Wednesday at 4:30 P.M. after a month-long absence with right shoulder inflammation, Basallo was slotted into the four-hole and started at first base against the Yankees. It was only his second career start at first, with the other coming June 28 against the Nationals.
The move came with another roster shuffle behind it. Baltimore sent infielder Jeremiah Jackson back to Triple-A Norfolk, leaving the club with three active catchers: Basallo, Carlos Narváez and Yohel Pozo.
When Basallo was healthy, he mattered in a big way. He gave the Orioles a steady defensive presence behind the plate and paired that with long at-bats and hard contact.
By the time he went down on July 21, he ranked second on the team in slugging percentage behind Pete Alonso, third in RBIs and third with 16 home runs. No player in MLB history hit more home runs while catching before turning 22 than Basallo.
Baltimore has been leaning hard on Alonso since Basallo and Blaze Alexnader were sidelined with what have become long-term injuries. Alonso had been serving as the designated hitter lately, and he’s been carrying the offense despite a calf strain suffered running to first base over the weekend in Tampa.
Alonso usually wants to be out there every day, but the Orioles have kept him in the DH spot for now. Alexander is likely to begin a rehab assignment soon.
Coby Mayo had been covering first base in Basallo’s absence, and he stayed in the lineup Wednesday at third after staying hot with home runs in back-to-back games.
The Orioles have made it clear they want to be cautious with Basallo’s workload behind the plate given how young he is. Mike Elias said recently that the team plans to be careful with his usage as a catcher, and Baltimore made adding Carlos Narvaez a priority in the deal that sent Adley Rutschman to Boston.
Craig Albernaz didn’t reveal his lineup until late in the afternoon while the club decided whether Basallo needed more time to continue his rehab in the minors.
With right-hander Will Warren starting for the Yankees, Albernaz also leaned into matchups. Jackson Holliday stayed in the leadoff spot, Colton Cowser and Dylan Beavers returned to the lineup after sitting Tuesday, and Gunnar Henderson moved back up to third after spending most of the weekend hitting fifth. It was one of the youngest lineups Baltimore has used all season.
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