The Orioles placed Adley Rutschman on the 10-day injured list Friday with left ankle inflammation, a move reported by Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner after Rutschman was scratched from the starting lineup earlier in the day. Baltimore also selected catcher Maverick Handley from Double-A and designated right-hander Chayce McDermott for assignment in the corresponding moves.
Rutschman will be out for at least 10 days to rest and recover, leaving Baltimore without the catcher who gave its lineup one of its best early sparks. He was hitting.294/.385/.471 with a 154 wRC+ in 39 plate appearances, and his.357 batting average on balls in play, along with gains in exit velocity and hard-hit rate, pointed to a strong start after a down 2025 season.
What the ankle issue means for Rutschman is not clear, and the team did not say how he incurred it. Even a short absence is a blow for an Orioles club that was 6-7 and had been outscored 55-48 when the move was reported, a sign that the early-season margin for error has already narrowed. Baltimore now has to cover at a position where Rutschman’s production has been difficult to replace, and Handley is the first answer on the roster.
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The roster move also puts pressure on a pitching staff that loses McDermott in the shuffle, though Baltimore’s immediate concern is whether Rutschman can return before the injury becomes more than a brief interruption. For a team looking to steady itself after a mixed start, his absence is the kind of setback that can change the shape of a week before April is even over.
