BALTIMORE — The Orioles’ starting pitching staff has looked a little thin in recent weeks, but now that they’re finally approaching a full roster, internal discussions have begun about moving to a six-man rotation in June.
On Friday, Baltimore’s pitching staff suffered two big blows that could change its plans.
Left-hander John Means and right-hander Tyler Wells will both undergo surgery to repair their UCL injuries, general manager Mike Elias announced before the series opener against the Rays at Camden Yards. Both pitchers will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.
It is not yet clear whether Means and Wells will undergo reconstructive Tommy John surgery, but both have had the procedure before (Wells in May 2019 and Means in April 2022). The decision on whether to have the surgery will be made at the time each player has the procedure.
“It’s a very unfortunate situation for us and for them. It’s tough news for everybody,” Elias said. “But we’re going to take good care of them and get them back to their previous skill level in due course.”
However, that won’t be the case this season, so the Orioles’ starting rotation looks like this:
Dean Kremer (right triceps tightness) is on the disabled list, but Elias didn’t rule out a return by the end of June, while promising pitchers Chase McDermott (No. 8 on the Orioles’ roster, per MLB Pipeline) and Cade Povich (No. 9) are on the brink of their first major league promotions.
As of Friday, Baltimore’s starting pitchers had a 3.03 ERA, tied for third in MLB. Means and Wells had started just seven times combined and this was despite the fact that Kremer, Bradish (who opened the season with a right UCL sprain) and Rodriguez (right shoulder inflammation from late April to early May) were on the disabled list.
“Fortunately, we still have a pretty good feel for our starting pitching options at this point,” Elias said.
Meanwhile, the defending AL East champions, the Orioles, are 35-19 and once again in the middle of a postseason bid, looking to advance further into October after being soundly swept by the Rangers in last year’s AL Division Series.
As a result, they will likely look to add to their pitching staff before the trade deadline on July 30.
“We’ll have to wait and see how the market develops overall, and we’re also monitoring internal developments with the minor leagues and things like that,” Elias said. “These injuries are obviously significant developments, but I don’t think they’re something we have to address.” todayto get another starting pitcher in the organization. …
“But it would be foolish to think that this is the last injury we’ll see from our pitching staff. There’s still plenty of time, so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
A six-man rotation is still a possibility for the Orioles as they play 30 games over the next 31 days, but it likely won’t include Means and Wells, two clubhouse favorites in recent years.
“It’s really disappointing,” coach Brandon Hyde said, “Those are two guys I’m really rooting for. I was hoping for better news. Personally, it’s disappointing that they can’t pitch for us this year and be with us.”
Wells posted a 4.06 ERA in 95 games (46 starts) for the Orioles from 2021-2024. His best year came in 2023, when he posted a 3.64 ERA and 0.99 WHIP in 25 games (20 starts) to help the team win its first division title since 2014.
Wells had a 5.87 ERA in three appearances this season (dating back to April 13) before being placed on the IL on April 16. Elias said the 29-year-old Wells has been rehabbing at the Orioles’ facility in Sarasota, Florida, and began pitching earlier this week but continues to experience discomfort.
A 2019 All-Star, Means posted a 3.73 ERA in 67 games (63 starts) over his first three major league seasons from 2019 to 2021. He made just two starts in 2022 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of that year.
Means returned to Baltimore in September but was never able to fully overcome his elbow and forearm problems. After starting four games, the condition worsened and the 31-year-old missed the postseason. That delayed the start of the 2024 season, when he was placed on the disabled list earlier this month after posting a 2.61 ERA in four starts.
Currently, Means’ future is unclear: He has just 10 MLB appearances since the start of 2022 and is set to become a free agent this offseason.
“The first thing is to deal with that. We’re going to support him. We’ve known each other a long time and he’s a special member of this organization with all he’s accomplished,” Elias said of Means, who pitched the sixth no-hitter in Orioles history on May 5, 2021 at Seattle.
“We’ll be talking to him as we get him back medically. I’m sure he’ll be back. He’s a big, strong guy. And once this elbow is fully healed – and looking back at last year, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen – I think he’s got some really good pitching ahead of him.”
