Adley Rutschman returns to Baltimore, homers in first at-bat
BALTIMORE — Adley Rutschman returned to Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Thursday, exactly one month after the Baltimore Orioles traded him to the Boston Red Sox, and homered to right on the third pitch he saw.
Rutschman came to the plate in the first inning to a rousing standing ovation. He stepped out of the box, took off his helmet and waved to the crowd in appreciation.
On a 1-1 pitch from Orioles starter Brandon Young, Rutschman smashed a hanging curveball to right for a 1-0 Red Sox lead.
Adley Rutschman received a standing ovation from the fans in Baltimore in his first game back since being traded
He responded by belting a home run to open the scoring for the Red Sox! pic.twitter.com/dAxzRTI6oz
— MLB (@MLB) September 3, 2026
The Orioles showed a video tribute for him after the first inning. He came to the top step of the dugout to watch and waved to the fans again after another loud standing ovation.
It was Rutschman’s first game back in Boston’s lineup after missing three straight games with a hyperextended elbow.
The 28-year-old, drafted by the Orioles as the top overall pick in the 2019 draft, spent the first four-plus seasons of his big-league career in Baltimore, hitting .252 with a .750 OPS and 70 homers in 587 career games.
In many ways, he was the face of what was supposed to be the Orioles’ turnaround. It never transpired, resulting in his trade to the Red Sox on Aug. 3.
A throng of Baltimore media descended on the Red Sox visiting clubhouse on Thursday before the game to meet with Rutschman, who spoke at length about his appreciation for his time in Baltimore.
“A lot of feelings going on,” Rutschman said. “Different being over on this side, but saw some (old teammates) outside here just now. A lot of memories, a lot of positive memories.”
Rutschman said some of the Orioles gave him a hard time about getting around the ballpark as a visiting player.
“You’ve walked down the tunnel so many times taking an early right turn, so definitely a little different (heading the other way),” he said. “Some of the guys were giving me a little bit of crap, me saying, ‘Make sure you don’t take a right turn in the dugout after you ground out or something.’”
Rutschman was on the injury list with wrist inflammation when the Red Sox acquired him, and made his Boston debut eight days later after an abbreviated two-game rehab stint. The transition to a new team and the short rehab stint have left Rutschman still searching for his rhythm in Boston.
Entering Thursday, he was hitting .170 (9-for-53) with two extra-base hits for the Red Sox.
“There’s been some adjustment just making sure that I’m on the same page with the new pitching staff and just all new personnel,” he said. “So make sure everything’s kind of run smoothly from the catching side, and that’s been the biggest thing as far as workload goes. But the Red Sox have done a great job just helping me along and kind of getting me integrated into a new routine.”
His new manager has been pleased with how Rustchman has fit in.
“He’s a great guy. He’s a great person. He’s a hard worker,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said on Thursday before the game. “I actually spoke to him on the phone the day we traded for him and from that conversation, I kind of immediately felt like, ‘This is a pretty good dude.’ And then when I got to meet him and interact with him that first five days or so before he got activated, high-character guy.
“I know this will probably be in some ways somewhat emotional for him,” Tracy said. “He was an important player here for a long time and I’m sure he’s going to be very well received.”