Orioles Have a Crazy Catching Situation Now and Down the Road

Through the first two weeks of June, the Baltimore Orioles looked like they were turning the page from their terrible start to the season.

Jordan Westburg and Colton Cowser returned to the lineup, and Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson put together some hot starts, showing glimpses of what fans thought the O’s could look like heading into this year.

However, the past two weeks have not echoed that same positivity.

A 3-4 road trip against AL East opponents could have easily been a 5-2 road trip had the Orioles been able to hold onto an 8-0 lead in the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays or hold a one-run lead late against the Yankees.

Follow that up with a 3-3 homestand where the lineup was almost no-hit multiple times, and it’s been more disappointment lately for the O’s.

To make matters worse, the Orioles placed Rutschman, who has been on fire in the month of June, on the IL. This is the first time in his four-year career that Adley is heading to the IL.

With a hole behind the plate for the first time since the young backstop made his debut in 2022, the Orioles are left with very few options. Can veteran guys keep the boat afloat, or should general manager Mike Elias give the call-up to Just Baseball’s No. 9 prospect?

Stats and rankings were taken prior to play on June 30.

A Big Injury at the Wrong Time

The O’s are in desperate need of high-level production if they want any shot of making the postseason, so Rutschman’s absence could not have come at a worse time.

The emergence started with the Orioles series in Seattle at the beginning of June. Conveniently, I had just written an article describing the issues the backstop had been facing dating back to last year.

But from June 3 to when he hit the injured list on June 20, Rutschman was slashing .309/.381/.509 with a 153 wRC+. In his 15 games over that stretch, the fourth-year catcher notched three home runs too.

Adley has also done a good job at reducing his strikeout rate. Before the series against the Mariners on June 3, Rutschman was striking out at a 17.5% clip. Since that series, his rate dropped to 12.7%.

After a four-game series in Tampa is when the O’s placed Rutschman on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. Interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters that he does not expect the backstop to be back until after the All-Star break.

The Orioles lost another catcher in a three-game series against the New York Yankees just a few series back as well. After being recalled from Triple-A in the wake of Rutschman’s injury, Maverick Handley was placed on the seven-day concussion IL after a collision with Jazz Chisolm.

After losing two catchers in a three-day span, the Orioles are now relying on offseason acquisition Gary Sánchez and recent signee Chadwick Tromp.

An Unexpected Duo

While many aspects of the Orioles season have not gone to plan, having Sánchez and Tromp be the Orioles’ backstop duo takes things to a whole different level. 

Sánchez will be expected to do most of the catching until Handley can work his way back from the concussion IL. The veteran backstop signed a one-year, $8.5 million deal this offseason to replace backup catcher James McCann.

Sánchez has missed significant time so far this year with injuries. In 24 games this year, he is slashing .250/.329/.431.

In June, however, Sanchez has elevated his play, slashing .357/.426/.667. The veteran’s 1.092 OPS and 209 wRC+ are both top-10 in baseball in the month of June (min. 40 PA).

After an underwhelming start to the season, Sánchez has massively turned things around in June and has helped keep the offense afloat following Rutschman’s injury.

As mentioned, after the injury to Handley, the Orioles called up Tromp. The 30-year-old’s career has spanned 61 games over five seasons with the San Francisco Giants and Atlanta Braves before joining Baltimore.

Tromp’s expertise lies with his defense. Across 64 career games behind the plate, the veteran boasts a .993 fielding percentage.

Tromp will likely last with the team until Handley is cleared to return to the field. It is unclear if the Orioles will give Handley time to ramp back up after suffering his concussion or if he will be activated straight to the big-league team.

Knocking in Norfolk

The biggest question that arose from Adley’s injury was whether or not O’s top prospect, Samuel Basallo, would make his major-league debut. The 20-year-old is Baltimore’s top prospect and a top-10 prospect in all of baseball.

On the season, Basallo is slashing .264/.390/.579. His 16 home runs rank third in all of Minor League Baseball and only four short of his career high in the minors.

The young backstop also has had a fantastic June, slashing .318/.452/.667, good enough for a 1.119 OPS.

Basallo has also been splitting time between behind the plate and at first base. The top prospect’s defense is an underrated part of his game, and he has been flashing the leather at both spots on the diamond.

Despite the hot bat and strong defense, it does not appear as if Basallo will be making his debut anytime soon. In recent interviews, Mike Elias and Tony Mansolino have stated there is no rush to promoting the young backstop, especially just because of an injury to someone else.

What Does the Future Hold?

There is no doubt that injuries have played a strong hand in preventing the Orioles from getting any kind of momentum going. With so many players missing time here and there, it can be torturous for the players, coaches, and front office to build upon any kind of success.

What the second half looks like for the Orioles will depend on what happens at the trade deadline. If the O’s are sellers, young guys could get their chances toward the end of the season. If Elias and company are buyers, there won’t be any room for them.

When it comes to catcher, the Orioles will be hoping to squeeze any bit of production they can out of Sánchez until Rutschman makes his return.

While Basallo is certainly knocking on the door, the Orioles have put themselves in a position where every game is important and the margin for error is near zero. If Basallo makes his debut this year, do not expect it to be until the Orioles have a much clearer view of their postseason chances.