The Baltimore Orioles placed starting pitcher Chris Bassitt on the 15-day injured list on Monday, June 8, with a back injury, a blow that arrives while the club hunts for answers after a recent period of improvement—and while it remains short of the .500 mark.
When Monday night arrived at Camden Yards, the plan for Baltimore’s rotation already had a new line on the calendar: Chris Bassitt was headed to the 15-day injured list with a back injury.
The Orioles. still trying to get their season moving toward the .500 mark. placed Bassitt on the IL on Monday. June 8. as he and the team continued seeking answers for what’s been bothering him. Bassitt, 37, visited a back specialist in Baltimore while the Orioles were in Toronto last weekend before rejoining the club.
Before the team’s Monday night game against the Seattle Mariners, Bassitt refused comment.
With the veteran sidelined, Baltimore turned to rookie Trey Gibson to make Bassitt’s start Monday. There was still uncertainty around when Bassitt would be able to return.
“He’s looking at his options and kind of seeing what his best course of action is,” Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Monday.
Bassitt’s injury is particularly striking because his performance had shown signs of settling down. Signed to a one-year. $18.5 million contract in March. he entered the decision with a 4-4 record and a 5.27 ERA across 12 games. including 10 starts and two outings as the “bulk pitcher.” After posting a 6.75 ERA in his first five starts. he’d pitched better of late. including two six-inning. one-run outings.
Now, the Orioles must absorb both the medical interruption and the lineup adjustment at the same time—an uncomfortable combination when every start can swing momentum in a season that has already tested the club’s ability to find consistency.
For Bassitt, the immediate next step is medical and personal decision-making as he assesses his options. For the Orioles, the focus turns to how long they can keep the rotation stable with Gibson stepping in and how quickly they can learn what the specialist visit means for his recovery timeline.
Orioles Chris Bassitt injured list back injury Trey Gibson Craig Albernaz Seattle Mariners Camden Yards MLB