Orioles know this mistake can't be repeated after Samuel Basallo barely avoids injury

Baltimore Orioles star rookie Samuel Basallo exited Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning after a foul tip caused the ball to ricochet off his right hand. By all accounts, the Orioles' backstop avoided major injury. X-rays were negative and interim manager Tony Mansolino expects Basallo back in the starting lineup for Tuesday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

But this injury never should've happened in the first place, and it's an incident that can never happen again. Somewhere along the way, Basallo received incorrect instruction (or ignored what he was taught) on how to properly set up behind the plate, and in doing so, he left his right hand exposed.

Basallo is not alone in this foolish approach to catching. Earlier this month, Dodgers' catcher Will Smith suffered a hand injury during a game against the Pirates after a foul ball bounced off his right hand — which was also left exposed at his side. Who in the world is teaching these catchers how to properly receive a pitch?

Samuel Basallo avoided major injury, but Orioles know he has to protect himself better

For decades, catchers would always present their glove (using their left hand) to the pitcher and tuck their right hand behind their back — either near their leg or behind their foot. Why? So that foul balls don't accidentally strike their right hand. What a novel concept, huh?

This is elementary stuff that players should've learned while watching famed baseball coach Tom Emanski as they were growing up. But through the evolution of the game, a new-age approach of getting ones hand closer to glove so as to have a better "pop time" has supplanted good ole fundamentals. The results, as you would expect, have resulted in injuries like the one that involved Basallo this past Saturday.

Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson suffered a broken thumb in 2022 after leaving his right hand exposed while receiving a pitch. Stephenson endured a month-long stint on the injured list and missed 27 games that season.

Basallo is too valuable to the Orioles organization to allow a careless injury — that could've been prevented — to result in a trip to the IL. When Basallo returns to the O's lineup on Tuesday versus the Pirates, he'd better be tucking that right hand behind his back.

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