What's next for Bassitt after successful first rehab start?

DETROIT -- While Ryan Mountcastle did not begin his rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Tuesday night as originally scheduled, another Orioles player on the injured list did.

Chris Bassitt made his first rehab start for the Tides at Harbor Park, tossing 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball against Worcester. The 37-year-old right-hander has been on the IL due to a back injury since mid-June, when he underwent a procedure to have a bone spur removed.

How did he perform?

Bassitt gave up a home run to Franklin Arias (Boston’s No. 1 prospect and MLB Pipeline’s No. 7 overall) on his first pitch of the night. But Bassitt settled in from there, retiring 10 of the next 11 batters. His only other blemish was a two-out walk to Arias in the third.

Bassitt logged three strikeouts during the 46-pitch, 28-strike performance. His fastball velocity was sitting around 91-92 mph, as usual.

What’s next?

It would be surprising if Bassitt doesn’t make at least one more rehab start, and he could have multiple more. He hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since June 3, so he’ll need to build back up, assuming he’ll be reinserted into the club’s rotation.

However, Baltimore’s rotation is a bit crowded at the moment. Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Shane Baz and Brandon Young are all pitching well, and Dean Kremer has a long track record of success for the O’s.

Could Bassitt be moved to the bullpen down the stretch? He has relief experience, so it can’t be ruled out. Last year, Bassitt allowed one run in 8 2/3 innings over seven postseason appearances out of the ‘pen during the Blue Jays’ run to the World Series.

What else?

This was the first time Bassitt pitched in a Minor League game since 2019, when he made three rehab starts in the A’s system. He made 164 appearances (163 starts) in the big leagues from 2020-25, with none of his IL stints requiring rehab assignments.