Basallo is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Astros, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Basallo inked an eight-year extension with the Orioles earlier Friday, and he'll get the night off to rest after what interim manager Tony Mansolino called a "rigorous" medical examination leading up to the extension. The 21-year-old had started in three of four games since being called up from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, and he should be a near-everyday player going forward.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Lands $67 million deal with Orioles
Rotowire
Basallo and the Orioles are finalizing an eight-year, $67 million contract extension Friday, which includes a club option for 2034, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
The 21-year-old is one of the top prospects in baseball and was called up for his MLB debut last weekend, and the Orioles wasted little time locking him in long term. Basallo has gone 4-for-14 with a double and five RBI in his first four big-league games after posting a .966 OPS with 23 homers in 76 contests for Triple-A Norfolk this year. The extension maxes out at $88.5 million if the option is exercised and all the escalators are achieved. With Adley Rutschman (oblique) landing on the injured list Thursday, Basallo is poised to operate as Baltimore's No. 1 catcher for the immediate future, though the rookie is also likely to see a lot of time at designated hitter.
Basallo is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game versus the Red Sox.
Basallo is 3-for-9 with a double and four RBI in his first two major-league games, but he will begin Tuesday's contest on the bench. Adley Rutschman is catching, and Ryan Mountcastle is at designated hitter for the Orioles.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Drives in pair of runs
Rotowire
Basallo went 2-for-5 with a two-run double and a run scored in Monday's 6-3 victory over Boston.
Basallo has made his presence felt right away at the big-league level, driving in two runs in each of his first two games and notching his first extra-base hit Monday. The top prospect drew the start behind the plate in the contest, and while Adley Rutschman's presence means he won't hold that role on a full-time basis, Basallo should still find regular at-bats at first base or designated hitter when he isn't catching.
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Drives in two in MLB debut
Rotowire
Basallo went 1-for-4 with two RBI in Sunday's 12-0 win over the Astros. He also reached base when he was hit by a pitch.
Called up from Triple-A Norfolk earlier Sunday, Basallo entered the lineup at designated hitter and as the Orioles' No. 6 batter in his MLB debut. The 21-year-old broke through with his first hit in his final plate appearance of the day, singling with the bases loaded in top of the eighth inning to drive in the game's final two runs. Prior to the game, interim manager Tony Mansolino told Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun that the Orioles want to assess Basallo's abilities at catcher over the next six weeks, but Basallo is still viewed as the No. 2 option at the position behind Adley Rutschman. Per Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, the Orioles plan to have Basallo make his first start at catcher in Monday's series opener in Boston, then use him at DH in Tuesday's series finale. Basallo could also pick up some starts at first base over the final few weeks of the season, though the Orioles may prioritize Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle at that position.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Moves up to big leagues
Rotowire
The Orioles selected Basallo's contract from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. He'll start at designated hitter and bat sixth in his MLB debut.
Widely regarded as one of the top prospects in baseball, Basallo will make the leap to the big leagues after slashing .270/.377/.589 with 23 home runs, a 14 percent walk rate and a 23.7 percent strikeout rate over 321 plate appearances at Triple-A. Though he's mainly served as a catcher in the minors, the 21-year-old will likely see most of his playing time at either first base or designated hitter, while Adley Rutschman continues to handle the bulk of the starts behind the plate. Assuming he settles into a near-everyday role, Basallo is worth rostering in the majority of fantasy leagues for managers in need of an infusion of power.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: May debut in 2025
Rotowire
GM Mike Elias said Friday that Basallo is close to the majors and that it "would be beneficial" for him to see big-league action this season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
The 20-year-old didn't seem likely to get a taste of the majors this season when the Orioles entered the campaign with postseason aspirations, but the organization has shifted focus after a poor start and were sellers at the trade deadline Thursday. Basallo is one of the top prospects in baseball and has a .273/.385/.599 slash line with 20 homers in just 66 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season. If he is called up later this season, he could see a lot of his action at designated hitter with Adley Rutschman entrenched behind the plate.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Moves past oblique issue
Rotowire
Basallo (oblique) has gone 6-for-10 with a home run, two doubles, one walk, two RBI and two additional runs in two games for Triple-A Norfolk since returning to the lineup Saturday.
Basallo suffered a right oblique injury in Norfolk's final game before the All-Star break, but he was never placed on the 7-day injured list, even though he remained out of the lineup through the first week of the second half. The young backstop quelled any concerns about his health Saturday, when he rapped out a season-high five hits. He's now slashing .280./394/.615 with 20 home runs in 64 games this season for the Triple-A club.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Set to resume hitting
Rotowire
Basallo (oblique) is scheduled to resume a hitting progression Tuesday with the aim of returning to action for Triple-A Norfolk as soon as this weekend, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Basallo hasn't played since July 13 due to the right oblique injury, but Norfolk has thus far resisted placing him on its injured list. Assuming Basallo incurs no setbacks while he advances through his hitting progression over the next few days, he could rejoin the Triple-A lineup by the weekend, though Norfolk may initially prefer to use the 20-year-old backstop as a designated hitter coming off the injury. Despite being slowed by multiple injury concerns this season, Basallo has been productive when available for Norfolk, slashing .264/.383/.591 with 19 home runs across 253 plate appearances.
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Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Sidelined due to oblique injury
Rotowire
Basallo is dealing with an injury to his oblique and will be out of action with Triple-A Norfolk for at least the weekend, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Basallo is the Orioles' top prospect and arguably the top catching prospect in all of baseball. It's not yet clear how severe the oblique issue is, but it's serious enough to sideline the rising star for at least the weekend. Basallo has a .264/.383/.591 slash line with 19 homers and 48 RBI through 62 games with Norfolk this season.
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Mashing as youngest Triple-A hitter
Rotowire
Basallo is slashing .244/.360/.578 with 13 home runs, a 14.9 percent walk rate and a 24.8 percent strikeout rate in 40 games for Triple-A Norfolk.
Basallo is the youngest hitter at Triple-A, as he doesn't turn 21 until August, yet he is one of the best power hitters at the level. Among Triple-A hitters with at least 150 plate appearances, Basallo's .333 ISO ranks second behind 34-year-old Carlos Perez. He isn't on the 40-man roster yet, but Basallo appears ready for the next level, at least offensively.
Orioles' Samuel Basallo: Back in action at Triple-A
Rotowire
Basallo (hamstring/elbow) is starting at designated hitter Friday for Triple-A Norfolk.
As expected, Basallo is back off the injured list as the DH, with the expectation he will be ready to get back behind the plate in May. He had a .250/.318/.550 slash line with two home runs and four strikeouts in seven games before landing on the IL.
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