Inside The Orioles

Top Orioles Slugging Prospect Moved to Triple-A Injury List

Baltimore Orioles top prospect Samuel Basallo was off to a hot start in Triple-A Norfolk, but he's headed to the injured list with a hamstring issue.

Kyle Morton

Shorebirds' Samuel Basallo (21) swings in the game against the Cannon Ballers Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. The Shorebirds defeated the Cannon Ballers 7-2.
Shorebirds' Samuel Basallo (21) swings in the game against the Cannon Ballers Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Perdue Stadium in Salisbury, Maryland. The Shorebirds defeated the Cannon Ballers 7-2. / Lauren Roberts/Salisbury Daily Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The Baltimore Orioles got some tough news on an injury to top prospect Samuel Basallo on Saturday.

According to Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun (subscription required), Basallo has been placed on the Triple-A injured list after suffering a hamstring injury.

Basallo is the No. 12 prospect in all of baseball and No. 1 in the Baltimore farm system according to MLB Pipeline, and he stuck around at Major League spring training until March 18.

A catcher with a well above average power tool Basallo was signed by the Orioles as an international free agent in 2021.

Now 20 years of age, he was off to a strong start with the Norfolk Tides.

Through seven games, he had hit two homers and produced a slash line of .250/.318/.550, good for an OPS of .868.

Basallo's path to playing time at the MLB level may not involve his natural position of catcher anywhere in the near future with Adley Rutschman firmly entrenched in the role.

However, some believe that Basallo could do so well with Norfolk that it could force the hand of Baltimore's front office to bring him up to give him a shot as the designated hitter.

As a 6-foot-3 left-handed hitter, his profile as an offensive threat is a great one. As a 19-year-old with Double-A Bowie in 2024, he slashed .289/.355/.465, earning a call-up to Norfolk.

With Basallo sidelined, Maverick Handley and Connor Pavolony will share the catching duties for the Tides, who are off to a 2-3 start to the season.

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Kyle Morton
KYLE MORTON

Kyle Morton has covered various sports from amateur to professional level athletics. A graduate of Fordham University, Kyle specializes in MLB and NHL coverage while having previous bylines with SB Nation, The Hockey Writers, HighSchoolOT, and Sports World News. He spent time working the beat for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes and is an avid fan of the NHL, MLB, NFL and college basketball. Enjoys the outdoors and hiking in his free time away from sports.

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