Baltimore Orioles Option Former Stanford Cardinal

The Baltimore Orioles have activated catcher Gary Sánchez from the IL, and in a corresponding move, optioned former Stanford Cardinal Maverick Handley to Triple-A Norfolk. Sànchez was placed on the 10-day IL back on April 28 with right wrist inflammation.

He began the year by going 3-for-31 at the plate, good for a .091 average with a .194 OBP across 14 games. Defensively he has also been league average, both in a small sample size this season, and over the course of last season as well. In 2023, he was a solid framer (64th percentile) and ranked in the 86th percentile in pop time, but over the past year plus he's been in the middle of the pack.

As for Maverick Handley, the former sixth round pick in 2019 made his MLB debut on April 29 at home against the New York Yankees, and earned his first big-league hit about a week later playing in Minnesota against the Twins. With Adley Rutschman behind the dish on a consistent basis, playing opportunities have been few and far between for Handley, which is expected.

Overall, Handley went 3-for-40 (.075) with a .136 OBP as the backup backstop for the Orioles, so even though Sánchez had struggled out of the gate, he still represents a marginal upgrade for the time being.

The former Stanford product did rate fairly well defensively in his time in Baltimore, sitting in the 64th percentile in blocking, 77th percentile in pop time, and was above average in framing. His caught stealing rate wasn't great, however, but catching thieves on the bases is a two-player game with both the pitcher and the catcher playing a role. Given his pop time, he may not have been getting the best pitches to throw on.

In Triple-A on his rehab stint, Sánchez hit .364 with a .417 OBP in seven games played, hitting three home runs and driving in eight RBI. The hope is that he can lengthen the O's lineup a bit, and perhaps give Rutschman an extra breather or two now and again to keep him fresh.

Handley, 27, was having a career year in the minors this season, which is what led to his promotion in the first place. He'd been hitting .346 with a .433 OBP, a homer, a triple, and six doubles in 15 games played. He has been a career .224 hitter in the minors, across all levels, and hit .202 in 84 games with Norfolk last year.