BALTIMORE -- The Orioles are suddenly piecing together their catching situation on the fly, and the timing could hardly be worse.
Just eight days ago, Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo gave Baltimore what looked like one of the most dangerous offensive catching tandems in baseball. Now both are on the injured list, and the production behind the plate has fallen off hard.
That showed up again Sunday in a 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Braves at Camden Yards. Baltimore couldn’t push across a run with the bases loaded and no outs in the 10th of a tie game, then watched Sam Huff ground out to third to end it in the 11th with the bases full. The loss sent the Orioles to a series defeat as Atlanta took the rubber game.
The Braves made the matchup even more pointed in the 11th. With runners on first and second and two outs, they intentionally walked Jackson Holliday, putting the tying run 90 feet away and the go-ahead run in scoring position to face Huff, who is now hitting .121 (4-for-33).
The bigger picture is even rougher. Over Baltimore’s last seven games, Huff and Chadwick Tromp have combined to go 1-for-24 (.042).
Tromp is 1-for-14 with six strikeouts, with his only hit a fifth-inning single in Friday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to Atlanta. Huff is 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts.
“We’ve battled injuries all year, and guys have to step up,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Either guys that are taking over that position, or other guys on the team.”
For now, the Orioles are waiting on their regulars. Rutschman, sidelined by left wrist inflammation, is eligible to come off the 10-day IL on Wednesday, but his only baseball work this weekend was throwing in the outfield without catching. Basallo, out with right shoulder inflammation and eligible on Thursday, has been shut down for the past few days so the inflammation can calm down.
That leaves Baltimore with decisions to make, especially with only six games left before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline and the club still in the thick of the American League Wild Card hunt.
One option is to give Yohel Pozo a shot. The 29-year-old Venezuelan, who has 106 games of big league experience with the Rangers and Cardinals, was claimed off waivers by the Orioles on Thursday, six days after St.
Louis designated him for assignment. Baltimore often carries an extra catcher on its taxi squad, and Pozo filled that role Sunday after reporting to Camden Yards.
Pozo hit .233 with nine doubles, five home runs, 24 RBIs and a .616 OPS in 85 games for the Cardinals over the last two seasons. It’s not a splashy move, but it gives the Orioles another name to consider.
Another possibility is Creed Willems, Baltimore’s No. 17 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. The 23-year-old has stood out offensively at Triple-A Norfolk, batting .256 with two doubles, 13 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .773 OPS in 73 games.
There are questions there, too. Willems’ defense may be a step down from Huff and Tromp, and his long-term future might not even be behind the plate. On top of that, he has played only five games for Norfolk since returning from a left hamstring injury that kept him out a little more than two weeks earlier this month.
“With Creed, we want him to be healthy. Obviously, coming off the injured list, that's first and foremost,” Albernaz said on Saturday.
“We don't want to thrust a player in the Minor Leagues that's been on the Minor League IL just because we have spots open, per se, up in the big leagues. We want to be right by them.
So, just like anything, we always look at all of our players, keep track of all of them, and if there's a fit, there's a fit.
“But right now, it's making sure Creed is getting what he needs in Norfolk."
Baltimore could also look outside the organization before the deadline. If the Orioles decide to buy -- and that still may depend on how the next week plays out -- the bullpen remains the top priority, with a starting pitcher or infielder also possible targets. Even so, a catcher could become a practical add if Rutschman and Basallo don’t make encouraging progress soon.
A major swing for a catcher seems unlikely. Names like the Rockies’ Hunter Goodman or the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers would fall into that category, and the Orioles’ hope is still that Rutschman and Basallo both return. Rutschman is under contract for 2027, and Basallo signed an eight-year, $67 million extension last August.
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