Sam

Huff

Huff accepted the assignment, so he might return at some point if the Orioles keep struggling to keep their catchers healthy.

Huff hit .121/.147/.182 in 34 plate appearances with the Orioles this season. They may look to bring him back as organizational depth.

Basallo was removed from Sunday’s game with shoulder discomfort after a swing, and the Orioles waited to put him on the injured list because fellow catcher Adley Rutschman (wrist) was already there. Now, the team will be without its top two catchers for at least the next 10 days, which means Sam Huff and Chadwick Tromp will split the catching duties for Baltimore.

Basallo has now played since Sunday, when he had to leave the game after a swing in the second inning. The Red Sox could potentially be using two left-handed starters in this doubleheader, so it’s not clear if Basallo will play at all. Sam Huff will start behind the dish and bat ninth, while Coby Mayo will be at third base and hit fifth.

Huff will rejoin the Orioles for Sunday’s series finale against the Astros in Houston where he’ll be an extra catcher on the bench. Cam Sanders was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move on Sunday.

Huff elected free agency on Thursday after refusing an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, but after exploring the open market he decided his best opportunity was to remain with the Orioles. He’ll continue to serve as extra catching depth.

Huff had gone 4-for-23 in nine games for the Orioles this season and did not want to report back to Triple-A. Huff has a .241/.292/.416 career slash line in 107 MLB games and figures to get another shot to provide catching depth in a new organization.

Huff will stick around as emergency organizational depth for Baltimore after passing through waivers unclaimed. The 28-year-old backstop has gone 4-for-23 at the dish in nine games for the Orioles this season.

The 28-year-old backstop struggled in his limited action with the Orioles, hitting .174/.174/.261 with zero homers, one RBI and a cringe-inducing 11/0 K/BB ratio in just 23 plate appearances. Given the lack of quality catching depth around the league, it’s possible that another team takes a chance on Huff on waivers.

Baltimore is going to roll with three catchers on their active roster with Adley Rutschman on the injured list. It’s worth noting that Samuel Basallo is out of the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the Angels, but there hasn’t been any indication that he’s dealing with any sort of physical issue besides the usual bumps and bruises. It’ll be Sam Huff handling the catching duties on Monday night with Tromp in a backup role.