Basallo (elbow) joined the Orioles' travel roster for Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Yankees and could be deployed off the bench as a designated hitter, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Basallo had been limited at the start of camp while he continues to recover from a right elbow stress fracture, but after responding well over the course of four live batting practice sessions, he's ready to face pitching in a game setting. Though Basallo could end up getting a handful of at-bats in before the Orioles reassign him to minor-league camp, he's not expected to be ready to catch in games until late April. Basallo will likely start the season at Double-A Bowie, but it's unclear if he'll avoid a stint on the injured list since he'll be limited strictly to DH duties for at least the first couple weeks of April.