LOS ANGELES -- A day after being hit in the left ear by a throw, Adley Rutschman was out of the Orioles' lineup for Friday night's series opener against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
During the ninth inning of Thursday's 3-0 loss at Seattle, Rutschman was removed from the game after he was hit by a throw from Mariners shortstop Colt Emerson, who was trying to complete a double play and tossed the ball from inside second base at close range. The ear flap on the switch-hitting Rutschman's helmet was on the right side because he was hitting left-handed.
Manager Craig Albernaz said Friday that the plan was to give Rutschman a full day off and then reevaluate.
"It's one of those things where, get hit in the head by a ball, him being a catcher and constantly getting hit in the head with foul tips -- I wish we could duck those, but you can't," Albernaz said. "So we're just playing it cautious to make sure he's OK."
Baltimore is carrying three catchers on its 26-man roster, which also includes Samuel Basallo (who started behind the plate Friday) and Sam Huff. So the O's already had coverage and didn't need to make a roster move to bring up an additional backstop.
Rutschman is having a strong season, hitting .254 with 15 doubles, one triple, eight homers, 40 RBIs and a .787 OPS in 54 games. The 28-year-old has also been excellent behind the plate on defense.