No matter how dire the state of the Orioles looks and feels, help is on the way.
Whether it’ll be enough to save their 2025 season is another conversation.
Yes, more than 4 1/2 months remain in the regular season and we’re not seeing a particularly strong American League to this point, but a 13-21 start that’s been every bit as bad as that record indicates — including a woeful minus-63 run differential — has all but eliminated Baltimore’s margin for error. The Orioles now need to play like a 95-win club the rest of the way just to finish 88-74. And even if we buy an 85-77 record being enough for a playoff spot, that’d require Baltimore to perform like a 91-win squad from here on out. Even some who were relatively optimistic about the Orioles’ ability to overcome its rotation weren’t anticipating a record that good.
It’s already feeling like quite an ask for a team with two series wins and a season-long winning streak of two games through the season’s first six weeks. Regardless of expectations or hype, few redeeming qualities about this club have actually manifested on the field. If the pitching was perceived to be the proverbial “D” student that’s now failing, the offense is the alleged honors kid carrying a C- or D+ average, leaving debate over which has been the bigger disappointment. The defense and baserunning haven’t been good either.
But we also recognize injuries playing a substantial role in this mess, and de facto ace Zach Eflin (right lat strain) is expected to return from the injured list this weekend. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill (neck inflammation) is in the midst of a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk and infielder Jordan Westburg (left hamstring strain) is on the verge of starting his own, meaning their return to the lineup is only days away. And reliever Andrew Kittredge (knee surgery) could be ready to join the Orioles bullpen in the next week or two after being sidelined since spring training.
Of course, these players need to show they’re healthy and ready to perform at the expected level.
It goes without saying that Eflin returning is a massive upgrade and allows the Orioles to at least remove the battered Charlie Morton from the rotation. The 2025 Opening Day starter, Eflin has pitched to a 2.70 ERA in 12 starts since being acquired at last summer’s trade deadline. And despite having not pitched in a month, he accounts for a third of Baltimore’s nine quality starts on the season.
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No one would argue that O’Neill’s offseason signing has looked particularly fruitful to this point, but it’s fair to note he was batting .289 with an .899 on-base plus slugging percentage when his neck problem initially surfaced in mid-April. Of course, his extensive injury history is why many were reluctant about tabbing him to replace Anthony Santander on a three-year, $49.5 million contract. That said, we’re still talking about someone who hit 31 home runs last year and is capable of helping a struggling offense.
The 35-year-old Kittredge was signed to be a high-leverage reliever for a bullpen that’s plummeted to 28th in ERA after a relatively good start. Whenever the right-hander is ready to make his season debut, it figures to drop at least a few relievers in the pecking order and hopefully strengthen the bullpen’s makeup in the process.
That brings us to Westburg, who was arguably the Orioles’ second-best position player last year before a fractured hand cost him most of the final two months. The 2024 All-Star infielder clubbed three homers over the first three games in Toronto, but undisclosed health issues hindered him throughout the season’s first month and periodically kept him out of the lineup. And just when it appeared Westburg was finally getting his bat going after snapping an 0-for-30 on April 19, he hurt his hamstring a week later and landed on the IL.
The 26-year-old is part of the vaunted young position core that was supposed to help the Orioles overcome their starting pitching concerns, but only Jackson Holliday carries an arrow pointing upward at the moment. Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman have been painfully ordinary rather than looking like the faces of the franchise and MVP candidates they’ve been at their very best. Colton Cowser has been sidelined since the season’s opening series, and Heston Kjerstad hasn’t taken advantage of the extensive at-bats in his place.
Would this offense firing on all cylinders — or at least more of them — be enough to overcome the pitching? It’s difficult to say, but you’d like to find out. At the very least, an offensive resurgence would offer more peace of mind for the big picture than this current state of Orioles baseball in which we’re seriously doubting everything from the front office and ownership to the coaching and players.
If the Orioles are to make anything of this 2025 season that’s already spiraling, these heralded young talents have to begin leading the way. If that’s too much to ask, this organization has bigger problems than its current state of health.
