DETROIT -- The Orioles decided it was time to change up half of their catching duo on Monday after getting little offensive production from the position over the past week-plus.
Baltimore recalled Yohel Pozo from Double-A Chesapeake prior to its series opener vs. Detroit at Comerica Park. Sam Huff was designated for assignment in a corresponding transaction, as Pozo joined Chadwick Tromp as the backstop duo on the O's 26-man active roster.
Adley Rutschman (left wrist inflammation) and Samuel Basallo (right shoulder inflammation) remain on the 10-day injured list, a pair of losses the Orioles have greatly felt in their lineup. Huff and Tromp went a combined 1-for-24 (.042) with 14 strikeouts over the previous seven games, with the lone hit being Tromp's fifth-inning single in last Friday's 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Braves.
Huff went 0-for-10 with eight strikeouts during that span and grounded out to third base with the bases loaded to end Sunday's 3-2, 11-inning loss to Atlanta. The 28-year-old was hitting .121 (4-for-33) with two doubles, one RBI and 19 strikeouts over 14 games for Baltimore this season.
Pozo was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals last Thursday and added to the O's taxi squad on Sunday. He played 85 games for St. Louis over the past two seasons, hitting .233 with nine doubles, five homers, 24 RBIs and a .616 OPS. The Venezuelan backstop played two games for Chesapeake after getting claimed, going 2-for-8 with one double and one RBI.
Also, Pozo believes his defense is among his best skills and something he can provide for Baltimore.
"I feel like I can call the game real well, I can block," Pozo said. "And I can throw people out."
Neither Rutschman nor Basallo seems close to returning. Rutschman is eligible to be reinstated on Wednesday, but the 28-year-old All-Star’s only baseball activity this past weekend was throwing in the outfield without catching. The 21-year-old Basallo, who is eligible on Thursday, was shut down the past few days to let the inflammation subside.
The Orioles are not yet ready to give Creed Willems (the club's No. 17 prospect per MLB Pipeline) his first big league opportunity. The 23-year-old has impressed with his bat at Triple-A Norfolk this season -- hitting .256 with two doubles, 13 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .773 OPS over 73 games -- but he has played only five games for the Tides since returning from a left hamstring injury that caused him to miss a little more than two weeks earlier this month.
“With Creed, we want him to be healthy. Obviously, coming off the injured list, that's first and foremost,” manager Craig Albernaz said on Saturday. “We don't want to thrust a player in the Minor Leagues that's been on the Minor League IL just because we have spots open, per se, up in the big leagues. We want to be right by them. So, just like anything, we always look at all of our players, keep track of all of them, and if there's a fit, there's a fit.
“But right now, it's making sure Creed is getting what he needs in Norfolk."
Baltimore (51-55) is set to play an important three-game set against Detroit (50-56) this week. The O's are only 2 1/2 games out of the third American League Wild Card spot with six games to play before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.