The Orioles are trying to keep their momentum rolling at exactly the wrong moment for a lineup already taking a hit.
Baltimore enters its series with the Boston Red Sox at 49-51 and riding a seven-game winning streak, but the club will have to navigate it without Adley Rutschman. The All-Star catcher has been placed on the 10-day injured list with left wrist inflammation, a move the team announced ahead of the matchup with Boston, which has won 13 straight.
“We have made the following roster moves: Selected the contract of C Chadwick Tromp from Triple-A Norfolk. Place C Adley Rutschman on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 19. Left wrist inflammation,” the Orioles announced.
Rutschman’s injury appeared to surface suddenly, though he was already out of the lineup Sunday, July 19, against the Houston Astros. He had played in two games since the All-Star break, going 1-for-2 with a run scored and a walk on the 17th, then finishing 0-for-4 with a walk on the 18th.
Now the Orioles will be without him for at least the next 10 days, with a return possible by the end of July. Depending on how the wrist responds, that absence could stretch beyond the trade deadline.
Through 67 games this season, Rutschman has eight home runs, a .251 batting average, 47 RBIs and a .764 OPS.
For Baltimore, it’s a frustrating development in the middle of a hot stretch. And with Rutschman sidelined, any real possibility of a trade-deadline deal involving him appears to be off the table.
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