The Orioles were always going to limit the workload of starting pitcher Tyler Wells after the All-Star break, but they won’t have much of a choice now.
After exiting Wednesday’s start in the fifth inning with what was initially called “lower back discomfort,” Wells was placed on the 15-day injured list with lower left side discomfort, meaning he will miss at least two or three starts. Having already pitched 37 2/3 more innings than he did as a Rule 5 rookie reliever last season, the 27-year-old figured to be shortened up down the stretch, but his absence is still a tough blow for a rotation that hasn’t logged a start of six or more innings since Jordan Lyles completed seven frames on July 12.
Wells acknowledged after Wednesday’s game that he’d been dealing with more general soreness and stiffness in recent weeks, likely a product of transitioning back to starting from last year’s bullpen role. The former Minnesota Twins farmhand underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and didn’t pitch in 2020 because of the cancellation of the minor league season before general manager Mike Elias selected him in the Rule 5 draft and he posted a 4.11 ERA and struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings last season.
One of the biggest surprises in a 2022 season full of them for the upstart Orioles, Wells has gone 7-6 with a 3.90 ERA and 68 strikeouts in 20 starts covering 94 2/3 innings. Per Baseball Reference, his 1.6 wins above replacement were leading the Baltimore rotation, which will now need a starter for Monday’s game at Texas.
Many will be clamoring for Triple-A pitching prospect DL Hall to replace Wells, but the organization has appeared reluctant to promote the hard-throwing lefty with a 4.45 ERA and walk rate of 5.3 per nine innings in his 16 starts for the Tides in 2022. Hall has struck out a whopping 15.1 batters per nine innings at the Triple-A level this season.
In addition to placing Wells on the IL before Thursday’s series finale with Tampa Bay, the Orioles optioned lefty reliever Nick Vespi to Norfolk and recalled right-handers Beau Sulser and Logan Gillaspie to give an overworked bullpen two fresh arms.
