May 8, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman and outfielder
Cedric Mullins are both taking the day off in Thursday's series finale against the hosting Minnesota Twins.
Maverick Handley will be the catcher and hit ninth, while
Ramon Laureano will patrol center field and hit fifth against Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober. Rutschman will take the day off after starting each of the last eight games for the O's. Like most of the team's bats this year, the switch-hitting backstop has been cold, hitting .212 (25-for-118) with four homers, 10 RBI and 15 runs on the year. Mullins will sit out for the first time since April 27. The 30-year-old has been one of the O's most productive offensive players with seven homers, 21 RBI and five steals in 33 games in 2025. Handley has never faced Ober, while Laureano is hitless against him in just two career at-bats.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
April 28, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman (hand) is doing the catching for right-hander
Tomoyuki Sugano on Monday and is hitting third against the division-rival New York Yankees and right-hander
Will Warren at Camden Yards. Rutschman did not play on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers due to a sore right hand that stemmed from when he blocked all ball in the dirt on Saturday. It wasn't a serious concern, though, and the 27-year-old backstop will end up missing just one game. Rutschman has been a disappointment for fantasy manager early on in the season, hitting just .209 (19-for-91) with four home runs, eight RBI and 12 runs scored. He's been especially bad in the last 11 games, going 5-for-37 (.135) with a homer, two RBI, seven walks and 10 strikeouts. We're expecting the former No. 1 overall pick to turn things around sooner than later.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
April 27, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman (hand) will not be in the team's lineup on Sunday when they line up against the Detroit Tigers on the road. The switch-hitting backstop was apparently hit in the hand on Saturday during Baltimore's second game of the doubleheader, though he was not pulled from the contest. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that he'll be available off the bench for the series finale. Rutschman has been struggling at the dish over the last few weeks, tallying just five hits (one home run) over his previous 37 at-bats (.135). Per statcast, the former first-round pick is due for some positive regression, as his xBA of .276 is quite a ways off his actual .209.
Gary Sanchez is behind the plate and batting fifth against Detroit to close out the series.
--Alex CiullaSource: Roch Kubatko
April 26, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman and first baseman
Ryan Mountcastle will take a seat in game one of their doubleheader on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers with
Casey Mize on the mound. Both Orioles hitters have been struggling lately; however, the decision by manager Brandon Hyde not to start them in Game 1 is due to the nature of the doubleheader, so fantasy managers should not look too much into it. In the meantime,
Gary Sanchez will start behind the plate and bat eighth in place of Rutschman.
Ryan O'Hearn will start at first base because of Mountcastle, moving
Jordan Westburg into the designated hitter spot while
Ramon Urias starts at third base.
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: Baltimore Orioles
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