Sarasota, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo (72) poses for photo during media day at Ed Smith Stadium. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Baltimore Orioles Prospect Samuel Basallo Won't Play Catcher to Start Season

Originally posted on Minor League Baseball on SI
By Sam Connon | Last updated Mar 23, 2025 1:35 PM ET

Baltimore Orioles top prospect Samuel Basallo is dealing with right elbow inflammation, general manager Mike Elias told reporters Sunday.

Basallo was reassigned to minor league spring training camp last week, so he wasn't going to start the regular season on the MLB roster regardless of his injury status. Now, the 20-year-old catcher will exclusively play designated hitter for at least the first few weeks of the minor league season.

MLB Pipeline has Basallo ranked as the No. 13 prospect in baseball, 17 spots above the next-highest catcher. He tops the Orioles' farm system as well, coming in just above infielder Coby Mayo.

Samuel Basallo (@MLBPipeline’s No. 13 overall prospect) is dealing with some right elbow inflammation. The #Orioles’ top prospect will only be at DH to start the season for Triple-A Norfolk, could be a few weeks before catching, per GM Mike Elias.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 23, 2025

Before he got sent down, Basallo was batting .226 with a .770 OPS in Grapefruit League play. He went 0-for-3 in the Orioles' Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees last weekend.

Basallo is a .286 hitter with 50 home runs, 64 doubles, 202 RBIs,24 stolen bases and an .841 OPS through 325 career minor league games.

Veteran free agent addition Gary Sánchez is set to back up All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman this season, complicating Basallo's path to the big leagues. It remains to be seen how Basallo performs as a designated hitter in the early days of the 2025 season, and how desperately the Orioles will want his bat on the big league roster once he returns to full strength.

This article first appeared on Minor League Baseball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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