Red Sox's Adley Rutschman Breaks Slump With 2 Homers in Return to Baltimore

After taking a full series off, no less...

Sep 3, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman (31) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Whatever it was that helped Adley Rutschman break out of his slump as a member of the Boston Red Sox, it's safe to say that slump officially ended on Thursday.

Maybe it was just the three days of rest Rutschman got this week while the Red Sox played the Seattle Mariners. But it's hard to imagine a road trip to face the Baltimore Orioles didn't play into the equation.

Rutschman, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the draft for the Orioles in 2019, was making his first-ever appearance as a member of the visiting team at Camden Yards. He announced his return with a bang... and then a second, even louder bang five innings later.

Twice is nice for Rutschman in Camden Yards

Facing Orioles right-hander Brandon Young, Rutschman took advantage of a hanging curveball in the first inning to deposit a home run just over the right-field fence. Statcast said it would have been a home run in 26 out of 30 ballparks, yet it left the bat at just 94.9 mph, below the threshold to qualify as a barrel.

Adley Rutschman received a standing ovation from the fans in Baltimore in his first game back since being traded

He responded by belting a home run to open the scoring for the Red Sox! pic.twitter.com/dAxzRTI6oz
— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2026

As it turned out, that was just a warm-up act for the top of the sixth inning, when Rutschman saw a hittable fastball from Young and clobbered it out to right field, a little more toward the power alley. The 103.6 mph laser was the hardest-hit ball of the game's first six innings.

Adley Rutschman launches his second homer of the game in his return to Baltimore! pic.twitter.com/JMVhcZvnu7
— MLB (@MLB) September 4, 2026

Coming into the game, Rutschman was sporting a .500 OPS and negative-0.2 bWAR in 15 games with Boston — and those were the games he didn't miss due to wrist and elbow injuries. The noise was starting to get loud about the Red Sox's perceived fleecing in the trade with Baltimore, and we actively added to that noise on Thursday morning.

Well, it looks like Rutschman heard that noise. And while Orioles fans might not regret taking the five players back in the deal, they still have to feel some pain seeing their former face of the franchise show out in a rival's uniform.

Whatever got into the Red Sox's new catcher needs to rub off on the rest of the Boston offense. Rutschman's blasts were both solo shots, the only two runs the Red Sox had in the game as they trailed the Orioles at the time of publication.

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