Samuel Basallo's Candid Injury Update Speaks Volumes

One of the most interesting questions regarding the Baltimore Orioles' 2026 season is what role standout catcher Samuel Basallo will have.

Basallo was the Orioles' top prospect in 2025 and was called up in the middle of August while Adley Rutschman was sidelined with an injury. While he's still raw as a defensive catcher, the 21-year-old Basallo showed flashes of brilliance at the plate. While his .165 average and .559 OPS in 31 games leave a lot to be desired, the bottom line is that Basallo (who Baltimore signed to an 8-year, $67 million extension shortly after he was called up) is a key piece of the team's future.

That being said, the Orioles still have Rutschman behind the plate. And while some believed that Basallo might get some reps at first base in 2026, Pete Alonso joining the team in free agency quelled the chances of that being a realistic option.

Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

Basallo will surely get some starts at catcher and will also get opportunities at DH. However, he needs to stay healthy for that to be an option. And that was thrown into flux on February 26.

Basallo left the Orioles' spring training game on Thursday with soreness in his right abdomen, which caused panic among the franchise and fan base.

Samuel Basallo Provided Optimistic Injury Update

However, it seems that there's no reason for fans to worry about Basallo missing a significant amount of time, given the injury update he provided on February 27.

"[Basallo] told the assembled media this morning that he’s fine and likened the pain to cramping. Basallo had his gear on this morning to participate in workouts and said he could return to the lineup this weekend," MASN's Roch Kubatko wrote in a February 27 article.

Samuel Basallo has catcher’s gear on and is heading to the stadium field for workouts pic.twitter.com/5TL8k5eQyr
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) February 27, 2026

This is fantastic news for Orioles fans, as it conveys that Basallo dodged any serious injury.

And Baltimore can ill afford any more injuries to their key players, as Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg are already expected to miss the start of the 2025 season because of a broken hamate bone and a partially torn UCL, respectively.

Basallo appears poised for a breakout campaign, so long as he can stay on the field and manager Craig Albernaz can find consistent at-bats for him. And there's no question that other injuries will pop up at some point, which will provide even more opportunities to contribute.

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