Less than a week after revealing plans for a six-man rotation to navigate a stretch that includes just two off-days through the end of June, the Orioles have placed another starting pitcher on the injured list.
Left-hander John Means exited with “some elbow soreness” in just his fourth start of the season in St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon and is back on the 15-day IL with what the club is calling a left forearm strain. It’s the same description that was used when Means opened the season on the IL, which was the result of a late start to spring training.
Baltimore activated right-hander Grayson Rodriguez from the IL only last weekend after the 24-year-old had missed just under three weeks with shoulder inflammation. With Means sidelined, the Orioles will now return lefty Cole Irvin to a rotation spot and recalled right-hander Jonathan Heasley from Triple-A Norfolk to pitch in long relief for the time being.
Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters in Chicago that Means has returned to Baltimore to undergo further testing. It’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined and whether Baltimore will now stay with a conventional five-man rotation or consider another starting pitcher at Norfolk such as lefty Cade Povich, who is off to an excellent start pitching in the International League. Right-hander Tyler Wells (right elbow inflammation) has been on the IL since mid-April, and he has finally been cleared to begin playing catch in Sarasota, meaning his return clearly isn’t imminent.
Now 25 months removed from undergoing Tommy John surgery in late April of 2022, the 31-year-old Means has made just eight starts since returning to the major league rotation last September. He’s pitched to an impressive 2.64 ERA and completed 44 1/3 innings over those outings, making this latest setback that much more frustrating for the former All-Star southpaw who tossed the Orioles’ first individual no-hitter in more than 50 years during the 2021 season. Despite making only four starts last September, Means was in line to be part of Baltimore’s postseason rotation until he began dealing with elbow soreness stemming from pitching a simulated game, a development that prompted the organization to shut him down well into the offseason and delay his start to 2024.
Means is scheduled to become a free agent after the season.
