The Orioles appear to have caught a break.
Catcher Samuel Basallo’s abdominal discomfort, which prompted him to exit Thursday’s spring training game in Sarasota, Florida, early, doesn’t seem to be a long-term issue.
Manager Craig Albernaz told reporters he didn’t know whether Basallo will require further testing but that his removal was precautionary.
The concern mounted for Basallo in the third inning, when he lunged across the plate to tag out a runner against the Detroit Tigers. He stayed on the ground, grasping his midsection, before he left the field. He walked to the clubhouse with an athletic trainer.
After the win, Albernaz told reporters (including one from MLB.com) that, if it wasn’t Feb. 26, Basallo might have stayed in a regular-season game.
“To me, he could’ve stayed in the game, but that was me being the voice of reason to get him out of there and make sure everything is fine,” Albernaz said.
The Orioles announced that Basallo departed with right side abdominal discomfort, but Albernaz’s initial briefing after the game seemed to indicate there won’t be a long-term issue for the 21-year-old backstop.
An injury setback of any kind would have been another blow for Baltimore, considering the club is already without infielders Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg for opening day. Holliday should return sooner after he underwent surgery to remove a broken hamate bone from his right hand. Westburg received a platelet-rich-plasma injection into the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow to address a partial tear.
Basallo made his major league debut last season, and soon after he signed an eight-year contract extension. Basallo’s first taste of the big leagues was difficult. He hit .165 with a .559 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 109 at-bats. He figures to be a key member of Baltimore’s lineup this season, even though Adley Rutschman remains the primary catcher.