Trevor Rogers Lands on 15-Day IL, Bassitt Starts Orioles Game Today
Trevor Rogers went on the 15-day injured list with the flu, and that pushed Chris Bassitt into the opener for the Orioles in orioles game today against the Astros. Jose Espada joined as the 27th man, so Baltimore had to patch the staff around a sudden illness and a doubleheader.
Rogers Misses His Start
Craig Albernaz said the flu was moving through the Orioles clubhouse and that Rogers was hit hard enough to prevent him from taking the mound. Rogers had been slated to start tomorrow, but the team kept him home for two days after he was throwing up and had not gotten his strength back.
“It’s hitting him pretty hard,” Albernaz said. “I’ll say it’s kind of going through our clubhouse.” He added, “We kept him home. So same thing with Rog. We kept Rog home for two days.”
Bassitt Takes The Opener
Bassitt gets the ball in Game 1 after posting a 6.75 ERA and a 2.063 WHIP in five starts. He has also made 16 career appearances against Houston, and Yordan Álvarez is 9-for-22 against him with a double, five home runs and 11 RBIs. Those numbers put real pressure on Baltimore’s first game of the day, especially with the rotation already in motion for a doubleheader at Camden Yards.
Houston is sending Peter Lambert to the mound in Game 1. Lambert has made two starts this season and allowed four runs with 16 strikeouts in 11 innings, so the opener pairs a Baltimore adjustment with a starter who has been missing bats.
Orioles Rotation Still Open
Albernaz said the Orioles are still working through the rotation for the four-game Yankees series in the Bronx. “It’s just the unfortunate timing of it because he’s starting tomorrow,” he said of Rogers. “Obviously, he wanted to, but sometimes you have to be the adult in the room and kind of look out for the player.”
He said there was no point in forcing Rogers back early. “So it would be no benefit for Rog to try to push through it because he doesn’t have the strength back yet and throwing up, all that good stuff,” Albernaz said. “So we want to make sure that he gets rehydrated, gets his strength back. And whenever the stint is over, he’ll be ready to go.”
For Baltimore, the immediate result is simple: Bassitt starts today, Rogers waits out the 15-day stay, and the pitching plan for the next stretch remains unsettled while the clubhouse deals with the flu.
