By now, the Baltimore Orioles are wondering if Lady Luck is even by their side in 10% of the games. Not much was going right anyway, and Sunday might have been the most painful chapter for the Orioles team and the fans yet. They were already one of the most injury-ridden teams in baseball. And then, they entered their series finale against the Yankees, reeling with injuries.

Their star catcher, Adley Rutschman, most recently ended up on the IL because of a left oblique strain. It sidelined him at least until after the All-Star break. This is a bitter pill to swallow for the team, given that Rutschman has been heating up this month, slashing .309/.381/.509 and keeping the Baltimore Orioles’ offense alive.

But just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse, the Orioles proved it wrong. Because another of their catchers might be in a tough spot now.

Midway through the game, a scary scene unfolded at home plate. The backup catcher Maverick Handley, who was pressed into action after Rutschman’s injury, was blindsided in a hard collision with Jazz Chisholm Jr. Now it was not a reckless thing—it seemed more like a freak play. Colton Cowser’s throw home pulled Handley to the third base line, and it left him directly in Chisholm’s path.

So there was no time to react or to brace, and Handley went down almost immediately. The trainers surrounded him, and the entire stadium fell silent. He eventually ended up walking by himself, but the silence was deafening.

While there are no official reports yet from the Baltimore Orioles, there are concerns right now that a concussion might have happened. If confirmed, it will mean just another Oriole on the injured list. And another massive question mark for the team that’s already running on fumes.

This is bad for the Baltimore Orioles because they already have 21 players in the IL. Ten of them are already out, and their ace, Grayson Rodriguez, hasn’t even thrown a single pitch. Plus, just a day earlier, Jordan Westburg jammed his fingers and was pulled from the game doing something so routine. The X-rays came back negative, but thankfully, it is still another worry for manager Tony Mansolino.

For now, Baltimore’s catching depth is hanging by a thread, and top prospect Samuel Basallo might be called up sooner than expected.

Maverick Handley’s injury may force the Baltimore Orioles to call up top prospect

With both Adley Rutschman and Maverick Handley now sidelined, the Baltimore Orioles suddenly have a catching crisis. This leaves Gary Sanchez as the next man up. But if you are being honest, while Sanchez came up as a catcher with the New York Yankees, he is more of a DH hitter these days. Even more than a reliable option behind the plate full time!

However, the Baltimore Orioles do have a potential game-changer waiting in the wings, though. Samuel Basallo, who is MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 overall prospect, has been tearing it up in Triple-A. Now, initially, when Rutschman went down to IL, the Orioles were hesitant to get Basallo up, saying that they didn’t want to rush his development. But now that Handley is out as well, their plans surely might have to pivot—and quickly.

This is because Sanchez can’t be expected to play catch every day. The other available catchers at Triple-A Norfolk are David Banuelos and Chadwick Tromp. Orioles might now opt for Tromp, who has some big league experience, and hope that he and Sanchez can somehow bridge the gap until Handley returns. Still, even then, the Orioles would be fielding one of the weakest catching tandems in the league. This is hardly the position a team wanting to make it to the playoffs looks for. So, whether they like it or not, Basallo’s MLB debut might come sooner than they want.