Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Hits grand slam in defeat
Rotowire
Rutschman went 3-for-5 with a grand slam during Friday's loss to the Royals.
While the rest of Baltimore's lineup was unable to find consistent success against the Royals, Rutschman accounted for three of the team's eight hits, and his seventh-inning slam was the only way the Orioles were able to put runs on the board. The 26-year-old backstop is now 7-for-21 across his last five games and remains one of the more reliable offensive catchers in baseball.
Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Socks first homer of 2024
Rotowire
Rutschman went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 11-5 loss to the Brewers.
The 26-year-old catcher took former battery mate DL Hall deep in the third inning, one of three Orioles long balls on the afternoon. It was Rutschman's first homer of the season, and while his power hasn't fully arrived yet, he's still had a solid start to the campaign with a .283/.339/.377 slash line, seven RBI and nine runs through 13 games.
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Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Receives rest day
Rotowire
Rutschman is out of the lineup for Friday's game versus the Brewers, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Rutschman started Baltimore's first 12 games of the season (eight at catcher, four at designated hitter), but he'll get a breather Friday for the series opener versus Milwaukee. James McCann will step in behind the plate to catch for Tyler Wells.
Orioles' Adley Rutschman: Productive on Opening Day
Rotowire
Rutschman went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and three runs scored in Thursday's 11-3 win over the Angels.
Rutschman's Opening Day effort was highlighted by a two-run single in the second inning, and the catcher scored each time he got aboard. He hit a reasonable .257 in spring training, but Rutschman has the upside to be the No. 1 catcher in fantasy. At the very least, he should see ample playing time this season after slashing .277/.374/.435 over 154 games (687 plate appearances) in 2023.
Rutschman has gone 1-for-9 over his first four Grapefruit League games.
On the bright side, that one hit is a home run. Rutschman's spring numbers will ultimately mean very little -- he's the Orioles' No. 1 catcher and will likely focus on getting back in sync with the pitching staff more than his performance at the plate for now. He hit .277 with an .809 OPS and 20 homers over 154 contests in 2023.
