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John Means Sent For Second Opinion On Forearm Strain

By Steve Adams | May 24, 2024 at 5:53pm CDT

May 24: Means is headed for a second opinion, manager Brandon Hyde told reporters on Friday (X link via the Baltimore Sun’s Matt Weyrich). Hyde didn’t specify if that indicates another surgery is potentially on the table.

May 23: The Orioles announced Thursday that left-hander John Means has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left forearm strain. Righty Jonathan Heasley has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take his spot on the 26-man roster. Means exited last night’s start after reporting elbow discomfort and seeing a notable dip in his fastball velocity. The team has not yet commented on the potential length of his absence.

Ominously, the 31-year-old Means missed a significant portion of the 2023 season owing to this same injury. He underwent Tommy John surgery early in the 2022 season and was limited to just 23 2/3 innings last year in his return from that ligament reconstruction, in large part became of complications in his forearm. He’s pitched a near-identical slate of 20 2/3 innings this season with uncannily similar results. After logging a 2.66 ERA last season, he’s at 2.61 in 2024. Means has fanned a below-average 20% of opponents this season but logged an outstanding 2.5% walk rate as well.

There’s little doubting Means’ talent on the mound. Since cementing his place in the Baltimore rotation early in 2019, he’s pitched to a 3.60 ERA with below-average strikeout tendencies (20.9%) but terrific command of the strike zone (4.9% walk rate). Unfortunately, persistent health troubles have severely limited his time on the mound. Over that span of what’s now five-plus seasons, he’s totaled just 397 2/3 innings of work in the majors.

Means, despite having worked as a starter for virtually his entire big league career, has just 401 innings in the majors in a season where he’s slated to reach free agency. He’s at five years of big league service already — much of it spent on the injured list — and will hit the open market for the first time when the 2024 season draws to a close.

With Means again sidelined for a yet-to-be-determined period, the Orioles will likely scrap the six-man rotation they’d been planning. Fellow lefty Cole Irvin — who’d been slated to be included in that sextet — stepped up in long relief for Means last night. As such, his rest schedule will now align with what would’ve been Means’ spot in the rotation, meaning he can start on full rest the next time Means would’ve been slated to take the hill.

Irvin will join Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer on the starting staff for the time being, with Heasley presumably available for long relief and/or a spot start if eventually needed. He’s been working as a multi-inning reliever in Norfolk but pitched five innings in a start his last time out. That brought him to a total of 20 innings over seven appearances.

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View Comments (36)
Post a Comment

36 Comments

  1. O'sSayCanYouSee

    1 year ago

    Speedy recovery Mr. Means!

    Also…second time since “returning” from TJ this (soreness/club shut down) has happened. Hopefully it’ll be a short stint on the IL.

    ((Really though…me thinks this more gamesmanship from the FO with too many SP’s. Any hang nail would have been a IL placement, imo))

    Reply
    • CurtBlefary

      1 year ago

      No gamesmanship here! his fastball velocity was down significantly. He was seen shaking his are a few times and then he asked out of the game.

      7
      Reply
      • O'sSayCanYouSee

        1 year ago

        Than that’s really a problem. Time to call up Povich!

        2
        Reply
  2. ImYourHuckleberry

    1 year ago

    Honestly a shame. It feels like this injury bug is just going to linger until he retires or goes completely 1 inning relief and tries that reinventing of himself.

    3
    Reply
    • Cincyfan85

      1 year ago

      That’s no guaranteed thing either. Look at Tejay Antone of the Reds.

      2
      Reply
    • Yankee Clipper

      1 year ago

      “I’m your Huckleberry”

      Movie reference or song reference?

      2
      Reply
      • ImYourHuckleberry

        1 year ago

        Name that movie! lol

        Reply
        • Yankee Clipper

          1 year ago

          It was…. Tombstone, I believe, with Val Kilmer as Doc Holiday.

          Reply
        • ImYourHuckleberry

          1 year ago

          We’re best friends now all bc of MLBTR.

          1
          Reply
        • Yankee Clipper

          1 year ago

          Agreed.

          1
          Reply
  3. PoisonedPens

    1 year ago

    Well, there’s an unfortunate reminder that a good percentage of TJs are not successful at least in restoring previous levels of ability.. Hopefully they can figure it out, he had great stuff when healthy.

    Reply
    • joeflaccosunibrow

      1 year ago

      The ability is there, it’s not sustaining health. Me guess he takes over for Kimbrel next year if he doesn’t fetch much interest on the open market. An oft injured pitcher is not a hot commodity.

      Reply
      • Bill from da Shore

        1 year ago

        Felix Bautista is taking over for Craig Kimbrel next year, unless his recovery is as complicated as John Means’.

        Reply
  4. Fever Pitch Guy

    1 year ago

    Toss – I’m still holding out hope of my dream to see Endy Rodriguez catching John someday.

    We all want to see the ball going from a Means to an Endy.

    13
    Reply
    • For Love of the Game

      1 year ago

      Well played, Fever!

      2
      Reply
  5. gr81t2

    1 year ago

    Starting rotation should be fine. If only they can string together 2 hits.

    2
    Reply
  6. Niekro floater

    1 year ago

    Dreaded pitcher’s forearm strain … doesn’t always lead to TJS but it’s scary diagnosis. Be nice if he can shake this off as mild n return soon. Good luck Means.

    2
    Reply
  7. The UnderCROWNd

    1 year ago

    Went to high school with John. Royals’ first rounder, Bubba Starling, is largely responsible for Means getting seen by scouts. In a twist of fate, he’s had the longer career. He was a 46th rd pick in 2011.

    5
    Reply
  8. basemonkey 2

    1 year ago

    I have a bad feeling about this one. He’s now come back 3 times since last year, only to have each time face some type of physical setback. Everyone on the team is casting an optimistic tone, but you can tell it’s cast a pall in the clubhouse, by the things not said.

    But if he can come back, it would be great to place him in the pen. We surely need it this year!

    4
    Reply
  9. joeflaccosunibrow

    1 year ago

    How is this story identical to the one on yardbarker? Are they sister sites?

    Reply
    • Canuckleball

      1 year ago

      Yardbarker reposted this article

      2
      Reply
      • LordD99

        1 year ago

        The bigger question is why is he reading Yardbarker?

        Reply
  10. getrealgone2

    1 year ago

    Sadly, I think he’s toast.

    1
    Reply
  11. Old York

    1 year ago

    Guy’s cooked. Best to update your resume and apply to be a pitching coach at some university or hope that a team in Mexico will pick you up to pitch.

    Reply
  12. ArianaGrandSlam

    1 year ago

    Let me know if you need third opinion.

    3
    Reply
  13. Poolhalljunkies

    1 year ago

    Or..maybe he had a smart financial advisor with his 10 million in career earnings ane just retire and relax for the most part

    Reply
  14. LordD99

    1 year ago

    Second opinions are generally not good.

    3
    Reply
    • YouHaveNoGoodCarIdeas

      1 year ago

      That’s what I was thinking. You don’t need Hyde to specify if surgery was on the table. Second opinion pretty much suggests it’s there.

      Reply
    • Paleobros

      1 year ago

      I mean, that’s just your second opinion opinion

      2
      Reply
    • basemonkey 2

      1 year ago

      Same here.

      When you’re looking for a second opinion, I think it means something you really really don’t want to do, like, surgery and/or out for the year. Hyde is also choosing his words a little extra carefully. It’s telling to me. So if I had to guess, it feels like a 2nd TJ procedure (Knock on wood).

      1
      Reply
      • Lets Go DBacks

        1 year ago

        You’re wrong though. Let’s say you feel something is wrong with your heart and doc says you are all fine and you just need to take some rest. You might want to find another opinion. You are the one who knows your body best.

        Reply
        • basemonkey 2

          1 year ago

          Your analogy is true, when talking about everyday life. But I’m just basing this on the way baseball reports seem to follow a pattern in 30 years of following them.

          When it’s good news, it doesn’t get challenged, and has a way of spilling out. The second opinion, and management getting careful and tight with information, as if to be respectful to the players future, that’s when it starts to suggest what’s happening behind the scenes.

          …but who knows. I hope I’m wrong (and just might be). But we saw this same thing happen w. Means in 2022, and then Felix Bautista last year. Ohtani looked for a second opinion last year. It happens a lot. But this is Means’ 3rd physical setback w the same elbow within the last year. What’s the simplest explanation to that?

          Reply
  15. James Midway

    1 year ago

    Hate to see it

    Reply
  16. stwawk

    1 year ago

    Another Stephen Strasburg, albeit much less talented.

    Reply
    • basemonkey 2

      1 year ago

      This might objectively be true, but it’s a pretty tactless way to put it. He was a pretty good pitcher in his peak, during a time when the Os had a lot of depressing seasons and very few good stories. He holds a special place in Os fans’ memories. The guy might just have had a career-ending injury, and you’re pointing out how he falls short.

      3
      Reply
  17. King Floch

    1 year ago

    Welp, that probably marks the end of his Orioles career. Bummer. Getting a second opinion after missing time with elbow pain both last year and this year after just returning from TJS is about as ominous as it gets.

    Reply

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