The Orioles are getting closer to making some major changes to their roster.

Samuel Basallo is playing first base tonight at Double-A Chesapeake in his second injury rehab game. He spent Sunday with Triple-A Norfolk and caught seven innings.

Asked this afternoon if Basallo is a possibility to be reinstated later this week, manager Craig Albernaz didn’t hesitate.

“Yeah, absolutely,” he said.

“Everything is trending great for Sammy. The way he handled his rehab process was awesome. He did everything as perfect as you can. He attacked it. The medical staff was awesome with him. It was really a great effort all around and Sammy’s in a great spot right now.”

Meanwhile, utility player Blaze Alexander and closer Félix Bautista are expected to begin their rehab assignments within a week.

Alexander was the hottest hitter on the team before a Lucas Erceg pitch slammed into his left hand on July 12 and caused a non-displaced fracture. He’s played six positions for the Orioles. He’s been much more than probably anyone could have anticipated.

Bautista was an All-Star in 2023 and recipient of the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year award, but he’s undergone ligament-reconstructive surgery in his right elbow and a procedure last August to repair his right labrum and rotator cuff.

The trade deadline has long passed, but Alexander and Bautista could provide significant upgrades on a team fighting for a Wild Card spot.

“It would be a huge boost,” Albernaz said. “Blaze, with the hand, it’s a non-displaced fracture. You want to make sure the bone heals the right way. He’s put a ton of great work in, just like Sammy. They really attacked this rehab process.

“And with Félix, it’s one of those things where I haven’t even thought about him joining us. It would be a great surprise for him to join us, because having those two big injuries, as you know, the arm injuries, it’s really tough to come back from, and Félix has done everything that he can. The live BPs have been looking great. He’s trending in the right spot.

“So just like anything with our players, we want to make sure that they’re feeling great, they’re in the right spot, before they make the next step. He hasn’t seen game action in, what is it now, 54 weeks, 55 weeks? So it’s a big jump. So we want to make sure that he’s ready for that jump.”

Pete Alonso is the designated hitter for the third consecutive game after experiencing some tightness in his calf at Tropicana Field. The discomfort hasn’t slowed Alonso, who’s 18-for-34 during a nine-game hitting streak.

“Yeah, it’s precautionary,” Albernaz said. “It’s that time of the year where everyone is banged up, and when you have someone like Pete and what he can do, you want to make sure that he’s playing every day and in the lineup every day. And we have Coby (Mayo) who can play first. So it’s one of those things where, make sure that he’s as close to 100 percent as he can be.”

Ryan Helsley, signed to be the closer this season on a two-year, $28 million deal that includes an opt-out, is on the injured list for a second time with right elbow discomfort. He might progress to a bullpen session later this week or perhaps when the team is in St. Louis to begin another three-city road trip.

Jackson Holliday is leading off tonight against left-hander Carlos Rodón, with three right-handed hitters behind him.

Why Holliday in a left-on-left matchup?

“Just the at-bat quality,” Albernaz replied. “The way he’s been managing the at-bat against lefties, taking his hits the other way, taking his walks, laying off tough pitches. All of the above.

“It’s been really fun to watch his growth throughout the year. Like we talked about him starting off on the wrong foot with the hamate injury, missing spring training and playing catchup, but right now he’s in a really good spot and he’s such a pro, the way he handles everything, the ups and downs. So it’s one of those things that we feel very confident in him.”

Gunnar Henderson stays in the fifth spot in the order. He’s scored a run in a career-high eight consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.

Henderson is 10-for-24 with three doubles and two home runs in his last six games, but he’s 2-for-25 in six games against the Yankees this season.

“He’s hitting a ton of balls hard all year, getting caught,” Albernaz said. “That one game at The Trop, I believe it was game three, they made two if not three ridiculous plays on him. But with Gunnar, the biggest thing that stands out is he’s laying off the pitcher’s pitches right now.

“Sometimes when a pitcher makes a pitcher pitch, even if it’s a strike, it’s sometimes not a good pitch to hit, so Gunnar is doing a great job of identifying that and just conceding that pitch and moving on in the count. And that’s kind of what we’re seeing right now is just Gunnar being a little more patient within the strike zone.”

The Yankees are starting Will Warren and Gerrit Cole in the last two games of the series. The Orioles are starting Chris Bassitt and Kyle Bradish.

For the Yankees
Trent Grisham CF
Ben Rice DH
Heliot Ramos LF
Luis García Jr. 1B
Spencer Jones RF
Jazz Chisholm Jr. 2B
George Lombard Jr. SS
Ryan McMahon 3B
Austin Wells C

Carlos Rodón LHP