The worst fears regarding John Means’ injured left elbow have come true with the Orioles ace set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the remainder of the 2022 season.
The lefty announced the news the day before his 29th birthday, leaving a huge hole atop an inexperienced starting rotation that’s fared better than expected through the first two weeks of the season. Means hadn’t pitched since leaving his April 13 start with left forearm tightness and was transferred to the 60-day injured list with a left elbow sprain last Sunday, an obvious sign there was serious concern about the health of his pitching arm. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde had said the organization was seeking multiple opinions on the structure of the Opening Day starter’s elbow, which wasn’t an encouraging sign.
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction usually requires about a year or more of rehabilitation before a return to professional action, meaning Means may also miss the beginning of the 2023 season. The 2019 All-Star pitcher had been one of the few bright spots for a rebuilding club over these last few seasons, transforming himself from a fringe minor-league prospect to an above-average major league starter who pitched the Orioles’ first individual no-hitter since 1969 in Seattle last May. Means remains under club control through the 2024 season, but Saturday’s announcement will table any talk about a contract extension or potential trades for the foreseeable future.
Despite spending time on the IL in each of the previous three seasons due to shoulder soreness, Means hadn’t dealt with any elbow or forearm problems since arriving in the majors at the end of the 2018 season. He has pitched to a 3.81 ERA and accumulated 9.3 wins above replacement (Baseball Reference) over 356 2/3 career innings in the majors. A 2014 11th-round pick out of West Virginia University, Means finished second in 2019 AL Rookie of the Year voting after going 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA in 155 innings that season.
While 29-year-old journeyman Chris Ellis has taken Means’ slot in the starting rotation for the time being, Orioles fans will continue to clamor for the arrival of Triple-A pitching prospects Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish, who are both off to excellent starts this season. Bradish, 25, allowed one earned run and struck out eight over six innings for Norfolk on Friday and is more likely to be promoted first with more than 100 innings at the Triple-A level dating back to last season already under his belt. The 22-year-old Rodriguez is regarded by many as the best pitching prospect in baseball and has posted a 1.26 ERA and struck out 23 batters over his first 14 1/3 innings for the Tides this season.
Such talents may eventually ease the performance void left behind by Means, but the young Baltimore staff will miss his leadership and growth mindset that helped turn him into one of the AL’s better pitchers over the last few years. And Means’ injury is the latest example of how not everything will go to plan over a long-term rebuild that’s taken quite a toll on a frustrated Orioles fan base.
