HOUSTON — There are only so many places on a baseball field and only so many slots in the batting order. The math is obvious — to accommodate Samuel Basallo, the top prospect promoted Sunday, part of the playing time pie chart will shrink for another member of the Orioles.

The reshuffling of plate appearances over the next two months will skew toward young players. In a losing season, the experience that’s available through everyday at-bats is invaluable. As eyes turn toward 2026, priority will be given to those expected to be key parts of that future.

Ryan Mountcastle understands this.

“It’s just crazy how fast time kind of flies by,” the first baseman said. “It feels like just yesterday I was the young kid, like those guys, coming up and trying to navigate my way through the league.”

Mountcastle, then, understands how his role may not be what it has been for several years in Baltimore. When he returned from a hamstring strain, he was shifted primarily to designated hitter duties because the Orioles wanted to maximize the number of games Coby Mayo played at first.

Now add Basallo, who interim manager Tony Mansolino said will serve as the No. 2 catcher as well as a first baseman. Basallo will receive designated hitter days, too, as he did Sunday. And, with Adley Rutschman slotting into the designated hitter mix when Basallo catches, there is a logjam with no clear path to the field for Mountcastle at the clip he once had.

“I’ll have to work through all that,” Mansolino said. “At some point here, we’ll get creative and we’ll make sure Mounty will get some at-bats.”

This is the nature of the sport. When the next crop of talent arrives, the dawn of their careers often forces a sunset for others — or at least the sunset with one organization. Mountcastle, 28, is under one more year of team control. The arbitration process will lead to a raise on the $6.787 million contract he’s under this year.

With that comes uncertainty. If Mayo and Basallo are the future at first base, as appears to be the case, where does Mountcastle fit?

“That’s just the name of the game,” Mountcastle said. “It’s a bunch of uncertainty, especially at this point of my career when you start getting a little closer to free agency and all that. So this is what it is. I know what I can do and just trying to put it out on the field and put some good at-bats together.”

Mountcastle found a home at first base after a career of trial and error — sometimes literally — at other positions. He was drafted as a shortstop, moved to third base and first base in the minors, and upon arriving in Baltimore he dabbled with left field.

But first base became his best position by a long shot, and he was a Gold Glove finalist in 2024. The organization knows what he can do there. For Mayo and Basallo, however, the position remains a work in progress, and a losing season is a good time to do that work.

When Mountcastle returned from the injured list this month, Mansolino approached him to say the plan was for Mayo to receive the bulk of the action there. Mountcastle took the news well, he said.

“Just sort of took it and said, ‘OK, if that’s my role right now, I’m willing to do it,’” Mountcastle said. “I’ll help Coby out along the way with whatever questions he’s got. I’m sure Basallo as well will be playing some first. Whatever they need, whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do it. And, with myself, just getting as many at-bats as I can and putting as much numbers up, as much good stuff as I can before the season ends.”

Those offensive numbers aren’t where Mountcastle would want them. He started the season slowly, hitting .194 at the end of April. May proved to be much better, with a .298 average and .715 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

But his hamstring injury stopped that progress. On a rehab assignment in the minors, though, Mountcastle found his rhythm. Since returning Aug. 8, Mountcastle has swung a hot bat, with two homers among eight hits in eight games.

“I feel like right now I’m taking some good at-bats and playing well,” Mountcastle said. “Just keep going about my day and take the opportunities when I do get them and capitalize on them.”

As the Orioles ensure Mayo and Basallo receive reps, however, Mountcastle may fall to the bench more frequently, as he did Sunday. It’s a fact of baseball: With nine starting spots with which to work, and with the team 10 games under .500, the development side may take precedent.

When Mountcastle is in there, though, the results will matter. When he approaches arbitration this winter, his salary will be the direct result of his production. Or his production the final month and a half may convince another team to seek his services.

“Mounty knows, with where he’s at in terms of arbitration and everything going on,” Mansolino said, “he knows he’s got to hit.”

How frequently he’ll get that opportunity remains to be seen.

But, for a player who arrived in Baltimore as a 23-year-old, he understands the situation. He’s “super excited for” the arriving prospects, “and hopefully they have long careers, too.”