The Orioles announced Tuesday that they’ve activated left-hander John Means from the 60-day injured list and optioned right-hander Joey Krehbiel to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore already had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so optioning Krehbiel is the only move needed to reinstate Means. The 30-year-old Means is slated to start tonight’s game for the O’s — his first appearance on a big league mound since April 13, 2022. He’s spent the past 17 months rehabbing from Tommy John surgery.
A great deal has changed for the O’s since Means last took the mound. He was caught by Anthony Bemboom during his most recent start, as then-prospect Adley Rutschman had yet to make his big league debut. Rougned Odor, Ramon Urias and Jorge Mateo rounded out the infield after first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, as the Orioles awaited the rise of prospects like Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg. When Means’ last game with the O’s concluded, Baltimore sat at 1-5 on the young 2022 campaign and was hoping to avoid a seventh straight losing season.
Fast forward to present day, and the Orioles have become the class of the American League, boasting the junior circuit’s best record and leading the Rays by three games in the American League East. Rutschman and Henderson have not only debuted but broken out as star-caliber, cornerstone players. Top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez has shaken off a rough start to his big league career, pitching to a 2.95 ERA in 10 starts since being return to the big leagues in mid-July.
Means will step into the rotation alongside Rodriguez and fellow breakout righty Kyle Bradish, who’s pitched to a 3.03 ERA (3.40 FIP, 3.83 SIERA) in 145 2/3 innings. Right-hander Dean Kremer and veteran Kyle Gibson have both made 29 starts apiece as well, though Gibson has struggled of late.
A healthy Means would be a major boost to the Orioles’ rotation, particularly with Bradish, Rodriguez, Kremer and Tyler Wells — who’s been optioned to Triple-A and moved to the bullpen — all establishing new career-high workloads this season. The O’s will probably be somewhat cautious with Means as he continues to distance himself from that surgery, but he’s already built up to 86 pitches in a minor league rehab assignment that saw him post a 3.74 ERA over 21 2/3 innings.
Prior to his injury, Means was a 2019 All-Star and AL Rookie of the Year runner-up. The lefty posted a 3.60 ERA in 155 frames during that rookie campaign, and from 2019-22 he tallied 353 1/3 innings of 3.72 ERA ball. He struck out a slightly below-average 21.2% of his opponents but also posted a terrific 5.1% walk rate and excelled at limiting hard contact (87.8 mph average exit velocity, 34.5% hard-hit rate). Anything resembling that form would immediately make him one of the Orioles’ three best starters, though expectations should probably be tempered in the early stages of any pitcher’s return from a major surgery.
While mending from that April 2022 procedure, Means has continued to accrue Major League service time. He’s playing out the second season of a two-year, $5.95MM deal that covered the entirety of his rehab. He’ll be eligible for one final raise via arbitration this winter before reaching free agency in the 2024-25 offseason.
John Means business.
…and business is booming.
Bembooming actually.
It’s all a Means to an end
Maybe he’ll make a difference on the Ways and Means committee…oh wait, that’s our gov’t. nobody makes a difference anymore.
GL O’s fans!
Recovering from TJ, he almost certainly won’t pitch a complete game. (He only has one in his career, back in 2019.) Too bad, because then there would be a Means to an end.
He still got a no-hitter by no easy Means. (It would’ve been a perfect game without the K/WP.)
Yeah, his one complete game was 2021 not 2019, good catch.
he literally had a pass ball strikeout no hitter in 2021.
Who pitches GC’s
Even if he isn’t solid out of the gate he should be able to take some innings from the load the kids have been carrying for these 4 starts before the playoffs begin. Can’t expect miracles with him just coming off TJ.
Roy Neary: I know this. I know what this is! This means something. This is important.
This one is curious to me. Other than to eat a few innings, why would a playoff team call up a guy coming off TJ surgery now? Typically, guys don’t do well in their first few starts back from TJ surgery and every win counts for the Orioles right now with a bye and home field advantage on the line in the playoffs.
He’s been pitching for the last 30 days and you clearly have not seen Jack Flaherty’s last few starts…… If there’s an argument for a starter to get bumped it’s him.
Means is called up to see if he has a role in October. Makes perfect sense to me.
You’d want 6 starters up so you can give each of the other 5 a start off down the stretch so they aren’t worn out come the playoffs.
king-that ship has sailed. Kremer, G Rodriguez, Bradish all at career high in innings. They needed to think about IP’s back in July at the trade deadline but Means wasn’t ready yet and they decided that they didn’t want to do much to shore up the rotation.
I don’t think you should expect much from Irvin or Flaherty based on results demonstrated to date. Gibson…is Gibson.
Means gave up 3 runs over 5 innings in his first start back. That’s basically a Gibson start and better than anything out of Irvin or Flaherty.
Which is what I said. “Other than to eat a few innings”
Means is not different than other pitchers that have had TJ. He went 5 in his first outing and got spanked. That is what usually happens. If he can put up a high 4s ERA in the majors in his 4 starts before the end of the season he will be doing better than most in those first 4 starts back from TJ.
The question is why would Hyde start McCann to catch his return. Besides being the better catcher – McCann killed them at the plate.