Orioles catcher Samuel Basallo says he’s learning to manage left wrist “bony growth” through the grind of a first full MLB season

The Orioles’ young catcher Samuel Basallo is learning a lesson many players pick up the hard way in the majors, the difference between something that hurts sometimes and something that derails you all season. Baltimore said Basallo has a “bony growth” issue in his left wrist, an area that can flare with discomfort rather than cause constant pain. With the summer schedule tightening and the physical load rising, the focus has shifted to managing the problem day to day as he develops into a full-time big league catcher.

Basallo, 21, told MLB he did not know he had the bone growth before the Orioles began discussing it with him earlier this week. He described the timing as an explanation for the way his wrist had bothered him in the past, and he said that once the season ends, he may consider addressing it further. In the short term, the approach is practical: treat the wrist appropriately and keep playing, even when it is not perfectly comfortable.

The change in Basallo’s routine was visible quickly. He felt discomfort in his left wrist during the sixth inning of Sunday’s 6-4 loss at Toronto after a play at the plate. He did not remain in the game for the rest of the inning, with Leody Taveras taking over for him via a pinch-hit appearance earlier in the late part of the contest.

Baltimore also adjusted his day-to-day involvement. Basallo was out of the starting lineup for Monday’s 6-3 loss to Seattle. Still, he remained involved enough to pinch-hit for Sam Huff in the bottom of the eighth, then stayed in to catch in the top of the ninth. Tuesday brought another lineup adjustment, though he worked on the field with the Orioles during batting practice, consistent with a plan aimed at keeping him active without forcing a full workload.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz framed the issue as part of a catcher’s reality. He said the discomfort is something Basallo has “always had,” and emphasized a development theme that goes beyond one ailment, learning to know his body and to play through certain levels of pain when he can. Albernaz’s point was less about chasing perfect health and more about turning minor, manageable problems into a skill: being able to function when you are not 100 percent.

For Baltimore, that message matters because catcher is one of the most demanding defensive positions in baseball. Even when the pain is intermittent, the mechanics of catching, throwing, blocking, and receiving take repeated strain from pitch to pitch, and the wrist is central to those movements. The Orioles have a long season ahead, and Basallo’s progression from prospect to dependable major leaguer depends on whether he can stabilize his routines, communicate clearly about discomfort, and keep showing up behind the plate.

In the immediate future, the key question is not whether the wrist issue exists, it clearly does, but how often it flares and how Basallo’s catching and timing respond on days when it is more noticeable. Watching his involvement in back-to-back games, his willingness to stay in for later innings, and how he handles contact days in between should offer the best indicators of whether the adjustment plan is working. The situation also sets a clear offseason storyline to monitor, because Basallo suggested there may be an opportunity to address the growth once the season ends.

Albernaz’s broader development line, that “everybody plays with pains,” is familiar in baseball but still significant when paired with a young catcher’s first full stretch. For the Orioles, it is a reminder that managing risk is not only about avoiding big injuries, it is also about maintaining consistency when the body sends smaller indicates. Basallo’s next steps will show how Baltimore plans to keep its roster flexible while protecting the long-term trajectory of its next catcher anchor.