NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Baltimore Orioles catcher likely will be sidelined until after the All-Star break because of a strained left oblique, and infielder Jordan Westburg will be out for at least a few days because of a sprained left index finger sustained even though he wore a sliding mitt.
Rutschman felt pain during batting practice on Friday and . He had an MRI on Saturday.
鈥淗e feels something small right there. We all know abdominal and oblique injuries, if you push those things, you can get really ugly. Instead of being three, four weeks, it could be three months,鈥� interim manager Tony Mansolino said Sunday.
鈥淗e鈥檚 kind of going stir crazy. I think the fact that it is mild in nature probably makes it a little harder for him,鈥� Mansolino added. “They went and got an MRI. They checked it out, which validated that. In his mind, he probably thinks he can possibly go out there, but obviously we know medically that鈥檚 not the smart thing to do for him right now.鈥�
On the injured list for the first time in his big league career, Rutschman is hitting .227 with eight homers and 20 RBIs in 68 games.
Westburg injured the finger while stealing second base in Saturday’s to the New York Yankees.
鈥淎ctually the sliding mitt that鈥檚 supposed to protect his hand, that鈥檚 the one that he did it,鈥� interim manager Tony Mansolino said Sunday. 鈥淒oesn鈥檛 know how he did it. It鈥檚 been the same mitt that he鈥檚 used for a couple years, talking about it this morning. Kind of crazy that he hurt his finger. That鈥檚 what those things are for.鈥�
Westburg missed more than a month with a left hamstring strain before returning on June 10. The 26-year-old is hitting .229 with seven homers and 17 RBIs in 34 games this season. He had 10 hits in his first 25 at-bats before going hitless in his next 14.
鈥淚t鈥檚 sore this morning. We鈥檙e hoping it鈥檚 two to three days. If it gets to be longer, then it鈥檒l be another conversation at that point,” Mansolino said. 鈥淭he X-rays were negative, so it鈥檚 not fractured. That’s the positive. So nothing catastrophic by any means.鈥�
Westburg hit .264 with 18 homers and 63 RBIs last year, becoming a first-time All-Star.
First baseman (strained right hamstring) also is on the injured list along with outfielders Tyler O’Neill (left shoulder impingement) and Jorge Mateo (left shoulder inflammation).
Right-hander Yannier Cano was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk after striking out the side in the seventh inning Saturday, and right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo was recalled from the Tides on Sunday.
鈥淚t starts ultimately with the amount of innings that we鈥檝e had covered here recently with the bullpen,鈥� Mansolino said. 鈥淲e need a fresh arm. You have limited amount of bullpen guys that have options.鈥�
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