Orioles latest roster move has fans worried about Samuel Basallo

Even though Samuel Basallo left the Baltimore Orioles game against the Blue Jays, it was hard to feel too concerned about it at the time. For one, the Orioles were blowing out their division rivals, so spirits were high, but also nobody really saw the injury, so it's not like there was a moment where the world stopped, and everyone in Birdland was thinking about Basallo's injury. If anything, fans were more concerned about Basallo after he grabbed his shoulder after striking out against the Blue Jays last week.

Maybe it's because that recent incident turned out to be nothing that when Jeremiah Jackson replaced Basallo in the lineup, there wasn't an immediate panic. When the injury was announced as abdominal discomfort, there were even some jokes going around that he had taken a page out of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's book and been subbed out so that he could go to the bathroom. After the game, Craig Albernaz further soothed any concerns, saying that Basallo leaving the game was a precaution.

The Orioles say Samuel Basallo is OK but it's worth keeping an eye on

Today, however, the Orioles designated Weston Wilson for assignment and called up third-string catcher Sam Huff to join the team in Toronto. Suddenly, Basallo's abdominal discomfort seemed much more serious.

The good news is that shortly after the roster move was announced, Craig Albernaz gave an update on Basallo, announcing that his MRI came back clean.

This alleviates most of the concern, but the Orioles have a history of being a little overly optimistic about injuries. Whether it's saying that Grayson Rodriguez was throwing his fastball 10 mph slower than usual on purpose or believing that Jordan Westburg could PRP injection his way out of Tommy John, they tend to look on the extreme bright side. So it's worth keeping an eye on this injury even if the Orioles say everything is alright.

Hopefully, he just needs a couple of days off to get feeling right, and then he can get back to his rightful spot in the middle of the order. Over his last 36 games, Basallo slashed .339/.391/591, making him not just the best hitter on the Orioles during that span but one of the best hitters in all of baseball. So removing him from the Orioles lineup during a key stretch where the team is desperately trying to clear their way back to .500 is going to hurt.

Having Sam Huff on the roster for the time being makes a lot of sense. If the Orioles feel like catching is detrimental to Basallo's recovery, Huff will allow the Orioles to give Rutschman the occasional day off behind the plate so that he doesn't get worn down while Basallo is recovering. As long as Basallo's recovery doesn't take too long, Huff will likely be on the roster until Dylan Beavers returns from his injury. If this injury keeps Basallo out of the crouch for longer than anticipated, it would be interesting to see Creed Willems get some run as well.

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