3:35 pm: Means’ MRI showed no structural damage, Hyde said (via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com). He’ll be shut down for seven to ten days and then reevaluated to determine a more definitive timetable for his return.
11:15 am: The Orioles have placed left-hander John Means on the injured list due to a strain in his throwing shoulder, per a team announcement. Zac Lowther has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to replace him on the active roster.
Means left his start last night in the first inning, with the team terming his issue shoulder fatigue at the time. He’s since undergone an MRI, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun), although the team has yet to receive the results. For the moment, it seems Means’ IL placement is more precautionary than anything.
There’s little reason for the O’s to risk more serious injury to their staff ace until they specifically diagnose the problem. Means is amidst a breakout season, having pitched to a 2.28 ERA over his first twelve starts (71 innings). The lefty’s underlying metrics don’t quite support that level of run prevention. Means’ 25.7% strikeout rate is above-average but not elite, and he’s given up a somewhat alarming 13 home runs.
Even if he doesn’t continue to keep runs off the board at quite this level, there are reasons to believe he’s taken legitimate steps forward. The southpaw’s always been a quality strike-thrower, and his 4.9% walk rate remains stellar. Means is also missing bats at a strong 14% clip, a career-best mark, thanks largely to one of the sport’s best changeups.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored this week, that makes him one of the more interesting trade candidates in the league. The Orioles are certainly not contending this season, and it’s difficult to see a path to the playoffs next year. There’s a case to be made for the O’s to move Means this summer. If his current issue proves to be minor, he’d certainly draw plenty of interest from contending clubs, and today’s IL placement serves as a reminder about the potential injury risks associated with building around any pitcher. On the other hand, Means is controllable through 2024, and the Orioles certainly hope to compete before that point. If he returns in a relatively short amount of time, Means will be among the most interesting players to follow in the coming weeks.
Chris Heston, Phil Humber, Dallas Braden, Jose Jimenez.
Welcome to the list of no-name pitchers that threw no-hitters and weren’t the same afterwards. Hopefully Means doesn’t fade away into mediocrity like the rest of them, especially before he gets at least an arbitration payday.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Braden is just 1 of 23 MLB pitchers to ever throw a perfect game (24 if you really enjoy Costner in the criminally-underrated FOR LOVE OF THE GAME — RIP Kelly Preston). Honestly, I’d imagine Braden would make that choice knowing he’d be forever different every time.
Agreed on “For The Love Of The Game” being very underrated!
Billy Chapel seems like the guy who would throw at Bill James for the damage he’s done to the game, so I like him by default.
I guess I’m confused because I thought people generally liked that movie?
@WFT meh SMH
RIP he was so young
hope this is somehow a minor setback as he was track for all-star team
While he probably was, it was not overly deserved. His FIP is nearly 2 runs higher than his ERA, indicating some really tough times for him were likely on the horizon
Same thing they said in 2019 and after a slow 2020 start, then too. Underlying metrics are not the be-all of everything. The homers have certainly contributed to Means’ higher FIP, that is really the main concern. But otherwise, no one is getting on base against him. No I don’t think he’s Sandy Koufax, but he has proven again and again the naysayers and metrics junkies wrong and that’s he is a very solid pitcher with an intense competitiveness on the mound (is there a metric for that)?
One time is luck, two times is coincidence and three times is a trend. Means is in his 3rd year of solid MLB pitching. I don’t expect him to tumble into the abyss (given health).
That said, the Orioles should trade him and continue to build up their farm, which is starting to show some impressive results.
“Same thing they said in 2019”
You mean the 2019 where he had a 4.85 ERA in the second half after a 2.50 in the first?
Yeah, I imagine they rightfully said that, and in turn correctly predicted his 2nd half collapse in 2019
As stated, zero chance he carries a 2 run difference over a season, and he’d probably be in line for a very 2019 like meltdown soon
It doesn’t help the Means’ home games take place in Camden Yards and the majority of his other starts occur in homer-friendly parks as well (NYY, TOR, TB). Not surprised at all that he’s given up 13 HRs. The key is to make sure they are solo shots, which most of them have been. I see no reason why he can’t have just as good second half, especially if he’s traded out of the division and into more pitcher-friendly parks.
Wait…proven again and again? The dude has 273 career IP…
Yes, 1984wasntamanual, apparently again and again
Mean’s entire career prior to 2021
13.50 ERA, 3 IP, 2018
2.50 ERA, 82 IP, 1st half 19
4.87 ERA, 72 IP, 2nd half 19
4.53 ERA, 43 IP, 2020
That totals to
3.97 ERA (4.67 FIP) 202 IP, 2018-20
2021 so far
2.25 ERA (4.17 FIP) 71 IP, 1st half 21
1st half 2019 was smoke and mirrors which resulted in the 2nd half meltdown. But 1st half 2021 being smoke and mirrors is totally not going to result in a collapse because, as everyone can see, “he has proven (himself) again and again”
…people do love to get excited and emotional over extremely small sample sizes and fluke runs, but facts have a way of winning out in the end
You didn’t watch a single pitch of 2019 Means but falsely assert that his ability to induce poor contact was “smoke-and-mirrors.” Under the bridge with you.
After a couple of rough mid-season starts, Means lowered his ERA from 3.76 to 3.60 over his last 8 starts of 2019. Of course that doesn’t fit your simplistic dismissal of his success, Nor did you take the time to research his outings. Nor did you watch him pitch and viewed his successful outings. The sole criticism you have over the course of his career is a bad 2nd half FIP in 2019 that is inflated because of a couple of bad starts. Keep looking backwards, troll
Slower pitchers often outperform the underlying metrics, while they provide a good estimate in most cases, there are always outliers, usually soft-tossing pitchers doing slightly better than predicted, and 100 mph guys doing slightly worse than predicted. FIP is a great estimator but being linear means it’s not going to be perfect for the exceptions.
All-stars aren’t chosen by trying to predict the future. Means is a slam dunk at this point. So is Cedric Mullins, who just recorded his ninth straight hit and is batting .323 with a .922 OPS. A couple of reasons to watch the Orioles in 2021.
Every team gets one guy on the AST, so I was thinking Means was likely that guy. Maybe Mullins is that guy now.
Or maybe both guys make it. Mullins will lead off the fifth looking for his tenth consecutive hit. Sneaking away from Dodgers-Braves to watch the Orioles. Go figure.
Idiotic claim. Means’ WHIP leads the AL at 0.831.. If you ignore batted balls as “pure luck” — you know, 80% of the data points — you don’t understand the game you are watching. And if you trust the unreliable ERA predictof as your sole basis of opinion, you will fool yourself into believing “tough times” are inevitable despite so much other data proving his success to date.
Bring up Mickey Jannis!
Bring up Mickey Janis!!!!!
Bring up Micky Janice!!?
Bring up Mickey, Janice!
Conjure up Mickey Mantle and Janis Joplin!
Mickey should get it up for Janice…..
Enough with the Means-hate. He’s a pretty good pitcher, even if he’s not deGrom. Pitching in the AL East, for a team that defensively has been occasionally wretched, with all those small parks and power-laden lineups. No, he’s not a “dominant #1”, but he’s a pretty strong #2 WITH upside.
Should the O’s trade him? Probably. They don’t look to be in any rush to contend, and moving Means/Mullins/Santander can fuel the rebuild of the rebuild. Plus those 3 are arb eligible at the end of the year I believe. No. you really can’t trade Mancini; not this year, anyway.
But with the “adds” they can get for those three, and the Adley-s and Grayson-s of the world, they can ;look at 2024.
Of course, that assumes the Yanks/Sox/Jays/Rays are just going to sit there and watch.
Why can’t you trade Mancini? First he gets cancer, now you are going to force him to lose? What the guy do to you?
They’re drawing flies in one of the best parks in MLB. Mancini’s a great story this year, pretty much already the Comeback guy. Maybe in the off season……
And the metric isn’t there for a GREAT return anyway. He’s terrible in the OF, so he’s a good hitting 1B/DH guy. The market is small, and, weirdly, almost AL East-centric.
I don’t see them moving a front end starter with 3 more years of control unless a team really overpays. Other than Grayson Rodriguez, what other potential 1 or 2 guy do they have?
@ Deron
DL Hall, maybe more
DL Hall probably isn’t a top of the rotation arm. Not enough strikes. A 3 or likely a high leverage reliever
Ofelky Peralta.
Maybe Michael Baumann. Possibly Carter Baumler will become a TOR, but that’s a long journey..
You know what this Means.