Chris Bassitt (back) to start throwing progression

Bassitt struck out five and walked none. He averaged a season-high 93.4 mph with his sinker tonight, and his velocity has been above his season average in all three starts since he returned form the IL at the beginning of the month. As long as he keeps throwing like this, he might be of use in mixed leagues the rest of the way.

Bassitt struck out six and walked one in the outing, which included a homer off the bat of Ben Rice. The right-hander was making just his second start since returning from midseason back surgery. Consider him an innings-eater for Baltimore down the stretch as he carries a 5.08 ERA into his next start versus the Cardinals.

Making his first start since June 3rd, Bassitt had a solid return against the division rival Rays. The righty showed good command of the strike zone and did a nice job of neutralizing a potent Rays lineup. He surrendered an RBI double to Richie Palacios in the second inning to give the Rays their first run of the night and later gave up an RBI single to Victor Mesa Jr. in the third inning to give the Rays their second run. After those two innings, Bassitt settled in to pitch 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one baserunner over that span. He’ll draw a tougher start in his next outing, which is scheduled for Wednesday at home against the Yankees.

He’ll start tonight’s game against the Rays. No need to stream him here, but it’s good to see Bassitt back after he missed two months with a back injury.

Bassitt struck out four batters on the afternoon while issuing one free pass. He threw 67 pitches in the contest, 47 of those for strikes. It’s possible that he’ll require one additional tune-up in the minors before he’s cleared to return to the Orioles’ rotation. It’s also possible that teams could be calling on Bassitt prior to Monday’s trade deadline.

Bassitt threw 46 pitches over 3 1/3 innings his last time out, so you’d expect him to get somewhere in the range of 75 pitches on Sunday. If all goes well, that could be all he needs before returning from the injured list. It’s also possible that if he shows enough in that outing it could entice interested teams to pick him up from the O’s prior to Monday’s trade deadline.

Bassitt struck out three and walked one while throwing 28 of his 46 pitches for strikes. The only hit he allowed was a solo home run to the Red Sox’s top prospect, Franklin Arias. The 37-year-old likely needs at least two more rehab starts, but you have to wonder if the Orioles would also try to move him at the deadline to a team that wants rotation depth.

Bassitt kicked off a throwing progression last week and should be ready to rejoin Baltimore’s pitching staff at some point in early-to-mid August. The 37-year-old veteran hit the injured list last month after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs from his back.

Bassitt is recovering from last month’s surgery to remove bone spurs from hiss back. The 37-year-old veteran hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Orioles since June 3. It’s merely a procedural move to free up a spot on Baltimore’s 40-man roster.

Bassitt has been on the IL with back soreness since June 8. Orioles GM Mike Elias said Bassitt will be reevaluated in a “couple of weeks” to see if he can resume throwing. One imagines he’ll be sidelined into August.