Orioles Place Adley Rutschman on Concussion IL, Recall Speedy Outfielder
The Baltimore Orioles will be without their starting catcher for at least a week.
Less than two hours before Saturday evening's game at Dodger Stadium, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz announced that Adley Rutschman was going on the seven-day concussion injured list. In his place, the club recalled outfielder Michael Siani from Triple-A Norfolk.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/GB9p9Qqcc1
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 21, 2026
Rutschman, 28, sustained the injury in the ninth inning of Thursday's series-ending loss to the Seattle Mariners. While he was running to first base, an errant throw by shortstop Colt Emerson struck him on the side of the head that was not covered by his helmet's ear flap. He was removed from the game as a precaution and remained unavailable Friday while the Orioles evaluated him.
This is the fourth time Rutschman has been placed on the injured list in the past calendar year. The switch-hitting backstop was limited to just 90 games last season because of a pair of oblique injuries, and this April, he spent 10 days on the shelf with left ankle inflammation.
Adley Rutschman has been placed on the IL four times in the past 365 days:
— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) June 21, 2026
June 21, 2025 - Left oblique
Aug. 21, 2025 - Right oblique
April 11, 2026 - Left ankle
June 20, 2026 - Concussion
This injury is about as unlucky as they come after this play: pic.twitter.com/k4m6oJtBrk
Aside from the injuries, Rutschman's 2026 season is off to an encouraging start. Through 54 games, the two-time All-Star is batting .254/.329/.458 with eight home runs and 40 RBI. His OPS (.787) is on pace to be his best since 2023, and according to Statcast, he ranks in the 98th percentile for both fielding run value and framing.
Since Rutschman's IL placement was retroactive to Friday, he will be eligible to return next Friday, when the Orioles open a three-game home series against the Washington Nationals.
With Samuel Basallo and Sam Huff already providing depth behind the plate, there was no need for Baltimore to call up another catcher in Rutschman's absence. Instead, the Orioles decided to add more speed to the bench in the short term.
Siani, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 18. The lefty-hitting outfielder has spent the entire 2026 campaign in Triple-A to this point. However, he does have 160 games of major league experience. He is a career .221/.277/.270 hitter at the big-league level.
In 44 Triple-A games this season, Siani has produced a .185/.306/.274 slash line with one home run and 14 RBI. He is 5-for-46 (.109 average) at the plate since joining Norfolk last month.
Albernaz described Siani as an elite defender in the outfield with "way above-average" speed. While he may not get many at-bats, he could contribute as a late-game defensive replacement and pinch-runner.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 10:37 PM.