Sam

Huff

Rutschman sat out his second consecutive contest on Tuesday night. It doesn’t sound like a potential injured list situation at the moment, but the Orioles can’t really afford to take any chances with Samuel Basallo playing through a wrist injury. Sam Huff has handled the catching duties in back-to-back games. There should be some additional clarity on his status heading into the final two games of the clubs’ current series against Seattle.

Adley Rutschman is also on the bench for the second consecutive contest. His status is up in the air, but he’s clearly dealing with some sort of physical issue. Sam Huff is handling the catching duties with Basallo sitting out to rest a lingering left wrist issue. The 21-year-old came off the bench as a pinch-hitter during Monday’s series opener and appears likely to avoid the injured list.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told reporters Basallo is dealing with a left wrist issue that he’s been playing through for some time. He added that he doesn’t believe it will require surgery. There’s no indication he’ll require a trip to the injured list at this time. Basallo will receive some extra time off following his involvement in a home-plate collision during Sunday’s series finale against the Blue Jays that led to his early exit from the contest. The 21-year-old former top prospect also missed time earlier in the series with an abdominal issue. There’s a lot to unpack here. It’ll be Sam Huff handling the catching duties with Adley Rutschman also receiving a day off.

Huff receives the call to join Baltimore’s catching mix as emergency depth behind starter Adley Rutschman while Samuel Basallo deals with an abdominal issue. The 28-year-old offers some over-the-fence pop but little else at this stage of his career. He got into three games for the Orioles earlier this month.

Huff is expected to re-sign with the Orioles, so it appears to just be a little financial incentive for him to elect free agency rather than report straight back to Triple-A. The 28-year-old will be a depth piece for Baltimore, and need to be added to the 40-man roster to join the Orioles.

Huff’s services are no longer required in Baltimore with Adley Rutschman coming off the 10-day injured list from his ankle injury. The former top prospect will hit the waiver wire, and he’ll have a choice to report back to Norfolk or hit free agency if he’s unclaimed.

The Orioles already have two catches on their roster, but Maverick Handley hasn’t played since being called up on Saturday. Perhaps Huff will fill in as the backup catcher or be more of a DH option now that Ryan Mountcastle (foot) is out.

The 28-year-old hit .208/.259/.340 with two home runs, four RBI, and a 25/4 K/BB ratio across 58 plate appearances for the Giants last season. The former top prospect is just organizational catching depth at this point.

Huff, 27, appeared in 20 games with the Giants during the 2025 campaign, slashing .208/.259/.340 with a pair of homers, four RBI and a 25/4 K/BB ratio across 58 plate appearances. He’ll look to find an opportunity where he can compete for a reserve role on a team’s big league roster.

Huff went unclaimed on waivers after being jettisoned from San Francisco’s active roster earlier this week. The 27-year-old former prospect hit just .208 (11-for-53) with two homers and four RBI over 20 games with the Giants. He also struck out 25 times in 58 plate appearances during that span. He’ll remain with the club as organizational catching depth.