BALTIMORE—Ryan Mountcastle is wearing a plastic boot on his left foot and navigating the Orioles clubhouse on a scooter Wednesday morning. The Orioles’ first baseman/designated hitter broke a bone in his left foot running out a double on Saturday night and immediately left the game.
Mountcastle didn’t feel anything as he was rounding first base, but then he fell, but still made it into second base.
“No clue, touched first and a step or two after that felt a pop in my foot and stumbled all the way to second,” Mountcastle said. “Right when I got up, I knew it didn’t feel very good.”
Mountcastle is on the 60-day injured list, so he’s out until at least mid-June and isn’t sure when he can play again.
“Not an exact timetable, however long it takes for that bone to heal. It could be a couple of months, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s getting a bunch of treatment on it, taking some supplements to help with the bone healing.”
Mountcastle missed more than two months last season with a right hamstring injury but hasn’t had a foot ailment before. He was hitting .286 (4-for-14) with an RBI in eight games at the time of his injury.
“It’s frustrating for sure, to put all that work in in the offseason, spring training, something like this happens, not fun,” he said. “I’m going to attack the rehab and try to help this team to the playoffs and beyond.”
Orioles going with 3 catchers for now
The Orioles selected the contract of catcher Sam Huff from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned left-hander Nick Raquet to Triple-A Norfolk. To make room for Huff, who’s catching and batting eighth, on the 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Jayvien Sanbridge has been designated for assignment.
Samuel Basallo, who has caught four straight games, isn’t starting. Maverick Handley, who was added to the roster when Adley Rutschman was placed on the injured list, is active. Handley, whose contract was purchased from Double-A Chesapeake, hasn’t played since he was added to the roster.
For the moment, the Orioles have seven relievers and five extra position players.
Huff has a .247 average in 98 games with Texas and San Francisco in five major league seasons. He was hitting .156 with an RBI in nine games with Norfolk.
Raquet allowed three runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings in two games for the Orioles. He was acquired from St. Louis for minor leaguer Brayden Smith on April 7th.
“It was great to get him some work up here, but at the same time, get him down to Triple-A, get his bearings,” manager Craig Albernaz said. “Work on some things and when he gets up here, he’s ready to go.”
Albernaz doesn’t think the Orioles will go without an extra reliever for an extended period of time.
“Not long, yeah, not long,” Albernaz said. “I see a move coming in the next few days.”
Sandridge, a native of Hagerstown has pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings for Norfolk.
Orioles-Diamondbacks lineups:
Orioles
Taylor Ward-DH
Gunnar Henderson-SS
Pete Alonso-1B
Johnathan Rodriguez-RF
Weston Wilson-LF
Jeremiah Jackson-2B
Coby Mayo-3B
Sam Huff-C
Blaze Alexander-CF
Kyle Bradish-RHP
Diamondbacks
Ketel Marte-DH
Corbin Carroll-RF
Geraldo Perdomo-SS
Adrian Del Castillo-C
José Fernández-1B
Ildemaro Vargas-2B
Nolan Arenado-3B
Alek Thomas-CF
Jorge Barrosa-LF
Eduardo Rodriguez-LHP
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