The Baltimore Orioles will look to turn things around after blowing a ninth-inning lead against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night.
Heading into the Orioles’ matchup against the Dodgers, Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz announced that catcher Adley Rutschman was placed on the seven-day injured list retroactive to June 19.
In a corresponding move, the Orioles recalled outfielder Michael Siani from Triple-A Norfolk.
Rutschman, 28, took a scary hit to the head in the ninth inning of the Orioles’ 3-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on June 18. Mariners’ Colt Emerson was throwing towards first after a grounder and hit Rutschman in the head. Rutschman would exit the game and be replaced by Jeremiah Jackson.
Orioles’ Craig Albernaz Supports Adley Rutschman After Scary Injury
Ahead of the Orioles’ matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday, manager Craig Albernaz spoke about the decision to place Adley Rutschman on the seven-day injured list.
“Him being a catcher and constantly getting hit in the head with foul tips. I wish we can duck those, but you can’t,” Albernaz told the press. “We are just playing it cautious to make sure he is OK.”
Albernaz added that the play that resulted in Rutschman getting hurt was unfortunate, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun.
“With Rutsch, it was such a freak incident that happened,” Albernaz said. “We’re going to support the s– out of Adley and make sure he’s OK and take it day by day and see how he feels.”
Baltimore will take the safe approach while letting Rutschman recover from the scary head injury.
Adley Rutschman’s Series of Injury List Stints
With Adley Rutschman hitting the injury list retroactive to June 19, it is the fourth time the catcher has been placed on the injured list since last June.
Exactly one year ago, Rutschman hit the injured list for the first time in his career. A left oblique strain that was discovered during batting practice resulted in landing on the 10-day injured list.
Once returning from the first oblique injury, Rutschman experienced oblique discomfort on the opposite side of his body. He would later hit the 10-day injured list on April 11.
At the beginning of the 2026 season, Rutschman was dealt with left ankle inflammation after sustaining an injury while running bases during the Orioles’ loss to the San Francisco Giants on April 10.
The two-time All-Star will now miss time once again. After a healthy first three years of Adley Rutschman’s career, he has missed 95 games and counting since 2025.
Samuel Basallo to Replace Adley Rutschman in Orioles’ Lineup
Although the Orioles will be without Adley Rutschman for an extended period of time, they might have the best catching depth in the MLB.
Samuel Basallo, 21, will step in to take catching duties moving forward for the Orioles. After a rough start to the top prospect’s career in 2025, he’s exploded to become a reliable, power-hitting threat for Baltimore in 2026.
Through 64 games this season, Basallo is hitting .254/.316/.450 while hitting 10 home runs and 30 RBI.
The 21-year-old is batting cleanup for the Orioles against the Dodgers on Saturday as Baltimore looks to redeem itself from Friday’s season-opening loss.
Orioles Make Adley Rutschman Announcement After Scary Play