Orioles activate Rutschman from injured list

Catcher Adley Rutschman, who had been on the 10-day injured list with a strained right oblique muscle, has been activated by the Orioles. He’d been on the injured list since August 18^th.

Rutschman completed a rehab assignment at Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday.

It was his second stint on the IL. He missed five weeks with a strained left oblique muscle earlier in the season.

Rutschman has been limited to 85 games this season, and is hitting .227 with a .684 OPS with nine home runs and 29 RBIs.

The Orioles have six games remaining, three against Tampa Bay in Baltimore from Tuesday-Thursday and three at Yankee Stadium this weekend.

It’s likely that Rutschman will play in most of those games. Samuel Basallo, who was added to the team on August 17^th, and Rutschman have played only one game together. Basallo has caught most of the games with Rutschman on the injured list.

Alex Jackson remains on the 28-man roster, giving the Orioles three catchers.

Infielder Luis Vázquez was optioned to the Orioles’ spring training complex in Sarasota. Norfolk concluded its season on Sunday. Vázquez hit .160 with a home run and three RBIs in 32 games and served as a late-inning pitcher four times, throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Right-hander Scott Blewett cleared outright waivers and accepted an assignment to the spring training complex.

Notes: Dean Kremer (10-10, 4.39) will face Ryan Pepiot (11-11, 3.77) when the Orioles open the three-game series with Tampa Bay on Tuesday night at 6:35. Tyler Wells (2-0, 2.04) will face Shane Baz (10-12, 4.99) on Wednesday night, and Cade Povich (3-8, 5.06) will face Drew Rasmussen (10-5, 2.80) on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. in the final home game.

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