Orioles Notes: Akin, Kittredge, O’Neill, Kremer, Holliday
Injuries have (again) been a major storyline of the Orioles’ season, but the team announced today that left-hander Keegan Akin has been activated from the 15-day injured list. Akin’s return comes a day after Andrew Kittredge and Tyler O’Neill were both activated Friday from the 15-day IL and seven-day concussion IL, respectively. Right-hander Cameron Foster was optioned to Triple-A for Akin, while outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez and right-hander Jose Espada were optioned to Triple-A yesterday for Kittredge and O’Neill.
Both Akin (groin strain) and Kittredge (shoulder inflammation) had spent the entire season on the IL, and Kittredge made his season debut yesterday, tossing a 1-2-3 inning out of the bullpen in the Orioles’ 10-3 win over the Red Sox. Initially signed to a one-year, $9MM contract in the 2024-25 offseason, Kittredge was dealt to the Cubs at last summer’s trade deadline, but Chicago then swapped Kittredge back to Baltimore in early November, and the O’s exercised a $9MM club option on the reliever’s services for 2026.
Kittredge and Akin are expected to be high-leverage arms in Baltimore’s pen, and Akin is the team’s top left-handed relief option. With both Akin and Dietrich Enns out of action, Grant Wolfram had been the Orioles’ only southpaw reliever for the last several days.
O’Neill was sidelined after hitting .241/.353/.345 over his first 34 plate appearances, and since he didn’t play yesterday, April 8 remains the outfielder’s last game. The always-uncertain nature of concussion symptoms led to an absence of over two weeks, yet hopefully O’Neill has now put the issue entirely behind him.
Even with three players now back in action, Baltimore’s injured list remains 10 players deep. Dean Kremer was the latest player sidelined, as the right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL on Thursday (retroactive to April 20) due to a right quad strain. Right-hander Brandon Young was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Young started Friday’s game in Kremer’s place, getting the win while allowing three runs on seven hits and a walk over 5 2/3 innings of work.
Young will probably get an extended run as Baltimore’s fifth starter since Kremer will miss “several weeks,” as O’s president of baseball operations Mike Elias told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters. Elias said Kremer’s injury surfaced during his between-starts prep work, and that “our plan is to try to keep his arm in as good of shape as possible because it’s not bothering him too much to throw right now, but we’ve got to let that thing heal and get his lower body condition back.”
The injury is another setback in what has already been an unusual season for Kremer, who began the season in Triple-A simply because the Orioles had five preferred options in their starting rotation. Zach Eflin‘s Tommy John surgery created an avenue for Kremer’s return, and the righty posted a 4.09 ERA over two starts and 11 innings before his quad strain surfaced.
With Kremer out and Eflin gone for the entire season, Cade Povich is now the Orioles’ top depth arm if another injury should strike the rotation. Albert Suarez and Tyler Wells are both ex-starters turned into multi-inning relievers, and conceivably either pitcher could be stretched out again for at least a piggyback type of role if even more starting help was needed beyond Povich.
Elias provided some updates to Kubatko and company on several other O’s players, including the news that Enns (foot infection) also seems to be nearing a return from the 15-day IL. Heston Kjerstad (hamstring strain) has yet to play this season, but is participating in full baseball activities and could be close to a minor league rehab assignment.
Concerns were raised earlier this week when Jackson Holliday underwent a fresh set of tests on his injured right hand, but Elias said the MRI, CT scan, and x-rays all came back clean. Holliday underwent hamate bone surgery on February 12 and was expected to start playing within the usual four to eight weeks, but his rehab work has now been paused twice due to continued soreness in the right hand.
Holliday discussed his latest setback with reporters yesterday, saying that a foul tip in Tuesday’s rehab game left him feeling “like I broke my hand again. Obviously, kind of concerning taking a swing and having that kind of pain, but I guess it’s not normal, but obviously nothing structurally wrong, and I guess whenever a tendon rolls over a nerve it can kind of cause that.”
The plan is to keep Holliday shut down for another week before restarting the rehab process. The clean tests at least provided some evidence that Holliday’s continued hand problems aren’t anything overtly serious, and Elias described the situation as “all within the possible normal spectrum of outcomes with the hamate injury….We’ve seen these come really quick for some players, and others take a long time to feel like themselves. So we want to let him get through this on an individual basis, and we’re giving him as much time as he needs, but we’re eager to have him back and welcome back with open arms once he’s ready.”
Orioles Recall Dean Kremer
The Orioles announced that right-hander Dean Kremer has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and will start tonight’s game. Left-hander Cade Povich was optioned to Norfolk as the corresponding move.
Kremer was a somewhat surprising roster casualty to begin the season. He has been a staple of the Baltimore rotation for years, serving as a solid back-end guy. From 2022 to 2025, he tossed 599 1/3 innings over 109 appearances. He had a 3.95 earned run average, 20.3% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate.
To begin 2026, he got squeezed out, mostly due to circumstances. In the offseason, the O’s signed free agents Zach Eflin and Chris Bassitt, in addition to trading for Shane Baz. Those three, Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers were effectively locked into the five rotation spots to begin the year. Despite Kremer’s reliability, he was optioned to the minors for the first time since 2021.
Eflin departed his first start of the year due to elbow discomfort. He eventually required Tommy John surgery. His injury opened a rotation spot but the O’s didn’t tap Kremer immediately. Both Brandon Young and Povich were recalled to make spot starts in recent weeks while Kremer has been starting for Norfolk.
Now Kremer is back in the bigs but it remains to be seen if he’s up for good or if the O’s plan to keep cycling through guys for the final rotation spot. Today is the fourth game in a stretch of 13 straight for the O’s. Povich started yesterday and now Kremer is going today, baking in a bit of extra breathing room for the other guys. The O’s have two off-days later in the month and could theoretically go down to a four-man rotation for a bit, then bring back Young or Povich when the schedule gets more daunting, though another injury could always throw a wrench in things.
The way it plays out could impact Kremer from a career perspective, which could also be notable for the club. Kremer came into 2026 with four years and 112 days of service time, putting him 60 days shy of the five-year mark. Once he hits that line, he can no longer be optioned to the minors without his consent. He would also then be in line for free agency after 2027. If he doesn’t get to that line, then his path to free agency would be pushed by a year and he would remain optionable. If Kremer stays up after today’s start, he’ll hit the five-year line in June, though getting optioned again would put the service time count on pause.
Photo courtesy of Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images
Zach Eflin Going For MRI With Elbow Discomfort
8:36pm: Manager Craig Albernaz confirmed the O’s anticipate placing Eflin on the 15-day injured list (via Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner). The team will know more after he goes for imaging tomorrow. Baltimore is off Thursday and could operate with an extra reliever for a few games. They’ll presumably recall Kremer to step into the rotation by the middle of next week.
8:31pm: Orioles righty Zach Eflin left his season debut tonight in the fourth inning after a visit from the trainers. The team announced the issue as elbow discomfort and will surely have more details over the next few days.
The injury seemingly occurred on a 76 mph curveball to Texas third baseman Ezequiel Duran. Eflin had pitched well before the injury, striking out seven while allowing one run across 3 2/3 frames. His velocity was fine throughout the appearance and there was no indication the veteran righty was struggling physically until his last pitch. Baltimore’s bullpen would give up seven runs over the final 4 1/3 innings and take an 8-5 loss.
Eflin has unfortunately battled a number of injuries throughout his career. Knee issues were the main concern during his early days with the Phillies. Over the past couple seasons, he had been bothered more frequently by back and arm issues. Eflin had brief injured list stints related to his lower back in both 2023 and ’24. He had three trips to the IL last year, a season in which he was limited to 14 starts.
The 31-year-old suffered a lat strain in April, knocking him out for a month. The back flared up not long after he returned. A second back injury resulted in a lumbar microdiscectomy that ended his season. Eflin returned to the O’s on a one-year, $10MM free agent deal midway through the rehab. That went without issue, but his return for the start of the season is clouded by possible concern about the elbow.
If Eflin hits the injured list, the O’s would presumably turn to Dean Kremer to round out the rotation. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A to begin the season. It was a numbers game more than anything, as they would have needed to go to a six-man rotation if they didn’t want to use Kremer out of the bullpen. He’s a perfectly capable fifth starter who’d slot behind Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt.
Orioles Option Dean Kremer To Minors
The Orioles trimmed their spring roster to 43 players with four more cuts today. The team announced that right-handers Hans Crouse, Nestor German, and Trey Gibson were all reassigned to the minor league camp, and in a much more surprising move, right-hander Dean Kremer was optioned to the minor league camp.
Kremer’s move was due to roster needs, rather than a reflection of his performance. Between Opening Day and April 10, the Orioles have three off-days, meaning that even a five-man rotation isn’t really needed for a team that had to choose between six starters. Trevor Rogers, Chris Bassitt, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz had four of those rotation spots covered, leaving Kremer and Zach Eflin as the likeliest candidates for the fifth starter’s job.
Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure last August, leaving his availability for Opening Day in question. The O’s felt good enough in Eflin’s overall health to sign the righty to a one-year, $10MM contract in December, and Eflin has progressed well enough in camp that a stint on the injured list no longer seems necessary.
It leaves Kremer as the odd man out, despite his solid work in Baltimore’s rotation over the last four seasons. The right-hander has a 3.95 ERA over 599 1/3 innings from 2022-25, with a 7.4% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate. Kremer is lacking in punchouts and velocity, but he has been a durable starter with mostly strong control, and he has been increasingly good at inducing soft contact over the last two years.
In all likelihood, Kremer will be back in the Show once the Orioles get onto a more regular schedule, or even earlier if an injury arises. It remains to be seen how Baltimore will deploy its starters over the course of the season or if a six-man rotation could eventually be used, but injuries or ineffectiveness usually end up solving any temporary pitching surpluses. For now, at least, the O’s are in the rare “good problem to have” position of too many healthy starters for too few rotation spots.
Poll: How Will The Orioles Rotation Shake Out?
Yesterday, the Orioles announced they optioned left-hander Cade Povich to Triple-A Norfolk. That news was hardly a surprise, as Povich is perhaps the seventh or eighth starter on the team’s depth chart. Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers form a solid top two, while offseason additions Shane Baz, Chris Bassitt, and Zach Eflin fill the group out on paper.
That would leave Tyler Wells and Dean Kremer on the outside looking in. That’s at least true of Wells, who was officially informed he’d start the season in the bullpen two weeks ago. There remains a certain level of ambiguity regarding Kremer’s role, however. That’s a fairly new feeling for the right-hander, who has started 123 of his 126 games in the majors and been a full-time player in the majors since June 2022. In those four years, he’s been a solid but unspectacular back-end rotation piece with a 3.95 ERA and 4.17 FIP across 599 1/3 innings. He’s struck out 20.3% of his opponents while walking 7.4%, both numbers that hover right around league average.
Being a league average starting pitcher is hardly a bad thing. Volume has value, and Kremer’s 171 2/3 innings last year made him one of just 47 qualified starters in MLB. On the other hand, it’s not too difficult to improve on what he offers. Just 11 of those 47 pitchers had a worse season by ERA- than Kremer. Even by lowering the innings threshold to 100, Kremer clocks in ahead of just 40 of 119 starters on the list.
So, how is Kremer best used for Baltimore this year? The right-hander does have an option remaining, so the club could simply send him to the minors and have him at the ready in case one of their starting five gets injured. That could be preferable to moving Kremer to the bullpen. Having both Wells and Kremer in relief roles would leave the Orioles with their depth hollowed out to an extent. While there are certainly pitchers capable of sliding between the bullpen and rotation on a moment’s notice, it can take time for even players experienced in that sort of swing role to stretch out fully after moving from the bullpen.
The O’s could also give Kremer a spot in a six-man rotation. While the team’s bullpen has more than a dozen viable options, the only pitchers truly locked into spots appear to be Wells, Ryan Helsley, Keegan Akin, Dietrich Enns and Yennier Cano. They’ll eventually reinstall Andrew Kittredge into the late-inning mix, but he’ll start the season on the injured list after battling shoulder inflammation early in camp.
That’s the sort of depth that could support a six-man rotation, especially with Wells available to cover multiple innings. That could be an attractive option given that the rest of the rotation has plenty of reason to need extra rest. Bradish is coming off UCL surgery. Bassitt is entering his age-37 season. Rogers has never made more than 25 starts, and Eflin just suffered through an injury-marred season that ended in back surgery. A six-man rotation would offer each of those players some additional rest days and make it much easier to keep that group fresh for what the Orioles are surely hoping will be a deep run into October.
That aforementioned offseason surgery for Eflin could, at least in theory, offer a third option. Kremer could begin the season as the Orioles’ fifth starter while Eflin opens the season on the injured list, giving him more time to build up and kicking the decision down the road for a few weeks. Eflin was targeting an Opening Day return to action as far back as December, but even at the time acknowledged that it was far from a sure thing.
Fast forward to today, and he’s so far made just two appearances in Spring Training, the latest of which was abbreviated by a rainout. While he impressed in both outings, neither lasted more than two innings. It’s unclear, at this point, if Baltimore will be able to get Eflin fully stretched out for the start of the season or if they would be willing to dedicate a spot in a five-man rotation to him if he isn’t built up to anything close to the 90-100 pitches typically expected of an MLB starter.
How do MLBTR readers think the Orioles will settle their Opening Day rotation? Will they send Kremer to the minors, place Eflin on the injured list, or use both in a six-man rotation? Have your say in the poll below:
What will the Orioles rotation look like on Opening Day?
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Zach Eflin will begin the season on the injured list. 52% (866)
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The Orioles will fit both Eflin and Kremer into a six-man rotation. 35% (577)
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Dean Kremer will begin the season in the minor leagues or the bullpen. 14% (226)
Total votes: 1,669
AL East Notes: Abreu, Kremer, Sugano, Goldschmidt
Wilyer Abreu was (retroactively) placed on the 10-day injured list on August 18 due to a right calf strain, and some eyebrows were raised last Sunday when both Abreu and Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t have any sort of timeline in place for the outfielder’s return, other than Abreu stressing that he wanted to “be ready for the playoffs.” Some literal steps in the right direction were taken this weekend when Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters that Abreu took part in running activities on both Friday and Saturday.
Cora described the drills as “the start of the progression,” and noted that Abreu “wasn’t at full speed.” The skipper didn’t have any more details about when Abreu could be tapped for a minor league rehab assignment or an activation from the IL. While naturally the Red Sox won’t rush Abreu for fear of re-aggravating his injury, there is some increased urgency to bolster the outfield now that Roman Anthony‘s regular season has possibly been ended by an oblique strain. What was once an overcrowded outfield picture in Boston has been thinned out by the loss of two regulars, leaving the Sox with a Rob Refsnyder/Nate Eaton timeshare in right field since Anthony’s IL placement.
More from around the AL East…
- It seems like Dean Kremer has avoided the worst, as an MRI came back clean on the Orioles starter’s right forearm. Kremer had to make an early exit from Friday’s start due to forearm soreness, and interim manager Tony Mansolino told MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko and other reporters that the O’s will skip Kremer’s next turn in the rotation as a precaution. However, Kremer has already been throwing to test his readiness, and may be able to avoid the injured list altogether. The righty has been a source of stability within an injury-marred pitching staff, as Kremer has a 4.43 ERA over a team-leading 158 1/3 inning pitched. The hits kept coming for the Orioles today, as the team announced that “foot discomfort” forced starter Tomoyuki Sugano out of the game in the fourth inning, after Sugano was struck in the foot by a hard comebacker to the mound.
- Paul Goldschmidt‘s playing time has already been reduced by his struggles at the plate, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone told media (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch) that the first baseman is also dealing with a bone bruise on his left knee. Tests revealed no structural damage and Goldschmidt is officially day to day, though Boone said Goldschmidt only would’ve played yesterday in an emergency scenario. After a scorching start to 2025, Goldschmidt has been in a slump that has now stretched beyond three months, as he has hit just .219/.265/.342 over his last 255 plate appearances. Goldschmidt might’ve already been trying to play through a knee sprain suffered in mid-August, and the bone bruise only adds to his difficulties in attempting to get on track for the postseason push.
Orioles Remain In The Market For Pitching Upgrades
Late last week, the Orioles added veteran right-hander Charlie Morton to their rotation mix on a one-year deal. On paper, the addition (alongside the club’s one-year deal with Tomoyuki Sugano earlier last month) would appear to fill their rotation. Things may not be that simple, however, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this morning that Baltimore remains in the market for upgrades even after adding Morton to their rotation mix.
As noted by Rosenthal, the Orioles already have a fairly deep rotation mix as things stand. Morton and Sugano are joined by Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez as locks for the club’s rotation next year, with Dean Kremer poised to round out the starting five. Rosenthal suggests that veteran journeyman Albert Suárez could pitch in as the club’s sixth starter if the Orioles opt for a six-man rotation this year, but even if they stick with just five starters Suárez figures to slot into the bullpen as a swing-man who can move back into the rotation as needed. Cade Povich, Trevor Rogers, and Chayce McDermott are all available as depth options behind that group, as well.
If Baltimore were to add another starter, it seems likely that Kremer would be the odd man out. The right-hander made 24 starts for the Orioles last year and pitched to decent results, with a 4.10 ERA (92 ERA+) and a 4.32 FIP in 129 2/3 innings of work. That’s perfectly solid production for a fifth starter, but those numbers also shouldn’t prevent the Orioles from upgrading their rotation mix and squeezing Kremer out of the picture. After all, the right-hander has been at least slightly below average by measure of ERA+ in every season of his career except 2022, when he pitched to an impressive 3.23 ERA in 125 1/3 innings of work in a career year.
Kremer, who is arbitration eligible for the first time in his career this winter, has a minor league option remaining that could offer the Orioles some flexibility if the club decides to add further to its rotation. Speculatively speaking, however, it’s also possible that the club could consider offering the right-hander as part of the return to land a starter on the trade market. Kremer has three seasons of team control remaining, so offering him up in order to land a rental pitcher like Dylan Cease would be a risky move given the fact that Morton, Sugano, and Eflin are all already ticketed for free agency next winter. That said, it seems feasible that Kremer could make sense as part of the return for a controllable arm such as Luis Castillo or Pablo López.
Rosenthal previously reported that the Mariners have some pause about dealing Castillo given their lackluster rotation depth behind the current starting five, which could make the Orioles a particularly good trade partner if they’re willing to make Kremer or even one of their younger arms like Povich available. Rosenthal reports that the Mariners are requiring major league talent in return for Castillo’s services this winter, while noting that Baltimore seems reluctant to deal from its cache of young position players. Perhaps a package focused on Kremer and first baseman Ryan Mountcastle could make some sense for both sides, then, offering Seattle a pair of arbitration-level players with multiple years of control while landing the Orioles the controllable, front-line starter they’ve been seeking.
Of course, the trade market isn’t the only way that Baltimore could upgrade their rotation. Former Oriole Jack Flaherty is still available on the free agent market, and the club was frequently connected to him prior to the club’s deal with Morton. If the Orioles remain in the market for rotation upgrades even after adding Morton to the fold, it stands to reason that Flaherty remains at least a potential fit for the club’s needs despite some recent reporting that has suggested the club could balk at the righty’s asking price. Flaherty seems certain to land a multi-year deal this winter, with reports indicating he’s angling for a five-year pact. Such an addition would offer Baltimore a bit more certainty in its rotation for 2026 and beyond by allowing them to project a starting five that includes Flaherty, Rodriguez, and Kremer for next season alongside Kyle Bradish, who could return from elbow surgery at some point in the second half this year.
Moving beyond the possibility of further rotation upgrades, Rosenthal adds that the Orioles hope to supplement its bullpen mix this winter. The biggest addition to Baltimore’s relief corps is sure to be the return for closer Félix Bautista from Tommy John surgery, but it stands to reason that the club could use at least one veteran arm to join Seranthony Domínguez, Yennier Cano, Keegan Akin, and Gregory Soto among the club’s potential late-inning options ahead of Bautista. While Baltimore has not been directly connected to any specific relievers in this year’s free agent market, they figure to benefit from the fact that there’s been minimal movement on the relief market to this point in the winter if the club decides to hold off on adding bullpen help until later in the winter.
Orioles Recall Coby Mayo, Activate Zach Eflin
11:48am: The Orioles have officially announced the return of both Eflin and Mayo, and have placed Urias on the 10-day IL with a right ankle sprain. Additionally, the club selected the contract of catcher David Banuelos from Triple-A and designated outfielder Forrest Wall for assignment to make room for him on the 40-man roster. Banuelos has spent most of the season at Triple-A after being outrighted to the minors back in April, while Wall was claimed off waivers from the Marlins just a few days ago but will now return to the waiver wire.
7:38am: Rosters expand from 26 to 28 today, meaning every team in baseball will get to call up an additional pitcher and an additional hitter as they begin play today. There’s little mystery about who those players will be for the Orioles, as manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Brandon Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun) that right-hander Zach Eflin will be activated from the 15-day Injured List to start today’s game against the Rockies this afternoon. Earlier in the day, Weyrich reported that top infield prospect Coby Mayo was poised to join the club as their additional hitter when rosters expanded today.
It will be the second taste of big league action for Mayo, 22. The youngster got his feet wet in the majors earlier this month with a brief cup of coffee that lasted only seven games and 20 at-bats, and he hit just .059 without an extra-base hit in that brief stint at the big league level before being optioned back to the minors. His sensational .293/.369/.574 slash line at the Triple-A level this season has left him with nothing more to prove in the minor leagues, however, so Mayo now figures to get a more extended opportunity to prove himself in the big leagues as fellow rookie Jackson Holliday has. Holliday struggled badly in his first ten games in the majors back in April but has looked better since returning to the majors the day after the trade deadline with a .218/.275/.426 slash line that’s good for a roughly league average 98 wRC+.
As for Eflin, the veteran right-hander came over to Baltimore in a trade with the Rays prior to the deadline. After posting strong enough numbers last year to finish sixth in the AL Cy Young award race, the right-hander took a step back with Tampa last year, posting a pedestrian 4.09 ERA in 19 starts despite a solid 3.68 FIP. Things changed when Eflin got to Baltimore, however, and in four starts after the swap the righty looked nothing short of excellent with a 2.13 ERA and a 24.5% strikeout rate in 25 2/3 innings of work. Eflin has been sidelined in recent weeks by a bout of shoulder inflammation, but it seems now he’s healthy enough to return to action. The Orioles are surely counting on the righty to help keep afloat a beleaguered rotation that also lost Grayson Rodriguez to the injured list in the month of August.
While Mayo and Eflin were both expected to be the club’s extra players following roster expansion, it’s possible after last night’s game that two more spots on the roster could open up today as both right-hander Dean Kremer and infielder Ramon Urias exited due to injuries yesterday. Kremer was struck by a comebacker in the fourth inning yesterday and exited with a right forearm contusion, with Manny Randhawa of MLB.com among those to relay the news that Kremer’s initial x-rays came back negative. As noted by Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner, both he and Urias, who who suffered a sprained ankle after also narrowly avoiding injury when struck in the face by a pitch earlier in the game, figure to be evaluated further today to see if either player will require a stint on the injured list.
The planned returns of Eflin and Mayo to the roster coincidentally figure to cover for the losses of Kremer in the rotation and Urias at third base in the short term, but if either player requires a stint on the injured list the team will likely need to deep into its depth in order to fill out the roster. Deadline addition Trevor Rogers is on the 40-man roster and could return to the rotation is Kremer misses time, though he was optioned after posting a disastrous 7.11 ERA in his first four starts as an Oriole. On the positional side, meanwhile, non-roster veterans like J.D. Davis or Jean Segura could provide infield depth for the club if Urias ends up going on the shelf.
Orioles Notes: Holliday, Means, Kremer
The Orioles placed Jackson Holliday on the minor league injured list yesterday. Despite the lack of impact on the club’s active roster, the move nonetheless raised eyebrows thanks to Holliday’s status as the consensus #1 overall prospect in the sport. Fortunately, club GM Mike Elias told reporters (including MASN’s Melanie Newman) that Holliday is dealing with a “barking” shoulder but that the issue isn’t serious and that he’s expected to need only a “few weeks” of rest before he returns to action.
That’s surely a relief for fans in Baltimore, as Holliday figures to join fellow youngsters like Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, and Grayson Rodriguez as a key part of the core for the Orioles going forward once he establishes himself at the big league level. The 20-year-old infielder got his first taste of big league action earlier this year but struggled badly with a with just two hits in 36 trips to the plate across ten games. That tough stretch led the Orioles to send Holliday back to the minors, and he’s continued to hit well at the Triple-A level since his return with a .252/.418/.429 slash line in 189 trips to the plate.
That being said, Holliday has struggled (at least by his own lofty standards) in the month of June so far, hitting just .212 with a 26.7% strikeout rate and a .394 slugging percentage, although his proclivity for drawing walks has allowed him to remain productive over all. Between the youngster’s relative struggles and his apparent elbow issue, it’s hardly a surprise that the Orioles have decided to play it safe with their prized prospect. Fortunately for fans in Baltimore, the Orioles lineup has played incredibly well to this point in the season and is hardly in need of reinforcements. The club’s 116 wRC+ is the third best figure in baseball this year, and Jorge Mateo has posted a decent .236/.281/.441 (103 wRC+) slash line while getting the lion’s share of playing time at Holliday’s likely long term position of second base.
In other news around the Orioles, southpaw John Means recently underwent his second Tommy John surgery in just over two years after making four starts for Baltimore late in the 2023 campaign and another four starts this year. Despite the surely frustrating physical setbacks, however, Means recently told reporters (including Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball) that he fully intends to return to pitching after he completes his post-surgery rehab, which will sideline him for the entire 2024 season and much of 2025.
“I still want to pitch, honestly,” Means said (per Dubroff). “I’d like to fail on the field before I give it up. I feel like if I go there, I can still pitch and get outs. I still feel really confident about my ability. I have to have my elbow keep up.”
For all of Means’s struggles in terms of staying on the field, he’s certainly been effective when healthy. The southpaw has a career 3.68 ERA with a 4.56 FIP across his 401 innings of work in the majors, and although he’s managed just ten starts since the beginning of the 2022 campaign he’s been nothing short of excellent in them with a 2.75 ERA and 3.99 FIP in 52 1/3 innings of work. Given those strong results, it’s not hard to imagine Means, 31, returning to action as an effective and valuable starter once he’s finally healthy. It’s unclear whether or not that return will come in an Orioles uniform, however, as the lefty is set to become a free agent after the 2024 campaign.
With Means and Tyler Wells both sidelined by UCL surgery and ace righty Kyle Bradish dealing with UCL issues of his own, the Baltimore rotation is in a bit of a tough spot. While Corbin Burnes and Rodriguez combine to form a strong top of the rotation, the club has been left to rely on Cole Irvin, Cade Povich, and Albert Suarez to round out the group due to a number of injuries. Fortunately, help could be on the way soon for the club as MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that right-hander Dean Kremer is expected to begin a rehab assignment with a “40-ish” pitch outing tomorrow.
MLB.com goes on to note that it remains up in the air whether or not Kremer will need another rehab start before returning to the Orioles, meaning the 28-year-old could potentially return to action for the club as soon as sometime late next week. The return of Kremer, who has been on the injured list for a little less than a month due to a triceps strain, would provide reliable innings for the Orioles pitching staff. Since the start of the 2022 season, Kremer has pitched to a solid 3.83 ERA (103 ERA+) with a 4.30 FIP in 348 innings of work for Baltimore.
AL East Notes: Soto, Kremer, Tiedemann
Yankees fans received an update regarding the status of superstar outfielder Juan Soto today after he underwent imaging on his forearm yesterday. Manager Aaron Boone spoke to reporters (including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and Brendan Kuty of The Athletic) this afternoon prior to the club’s scheduled game against the Dodgers about the young star’s status and noted that while a trip to the injured list “remains a possibility” for Soto, the club doesn’t currently anticipate one being necessary. Even so, Boone added that it could be at least “a couple” of days before Soto returns to the lineup as the club continues to be cautious about the injury.
That Soto is expected to avoid an IL stint is surely a relief for the Yankees, as their biggest offseason acquisition has carried the club offensively alongside Aaron Judge to this point in the season. Even by his own lofty standards, the young star has gotten off to an excellent start this year with a .318/.424/.603 slash line in 290 trips to the plate since the Yankees acquired him from the Padres in a blockbuster deal that sent a multi-player packaged headlined by righty Michael King to San Diego. A significant absence by Soto would be particularly devastating for the Yankees seeing as the 25-year-old has helped to pick up the club’s offense amid struggles from key regulars like Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres.
With Soto temporarily out of action, Trent Grisham figures to receive regular starts in the outfield, taking on the center field job and kicking Judge back to his previous role as the club’s everyday right fielder. If Soto were to ultimately require a trip to the shelf, it’s possible the Yankees could turn to youngster Everson Pereira to fill out their outfield mix. The well-regarded prospect struggled in his first taste of big league action last year but has slashed a solid .265/.346/.512 at the Triple-A level this season.
More to come…
- Orioles right-hander Dean Kremer is making progress in his rehab from a triceps strain that sent him to the injured list late last month, as manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun) earlier this afternoon. As Meyer notes, Hyde indicated that Kremer is set to throw a bullpen within the next few days, with Hyde adding that “everything is trending in the right direction” regarding his recovery. While Hyde did not place a timeline on the right-hander beginning a rehab assignment to the minor leagues, a speedy return by Kremer would surely be a huge relief to an Orioles club that will be without both Tyler Wells and John Means for the remainder of the 2024 campaign. As things stand, the club is relying on Albert Suarez, Cole Irvin, and Cade Povich to fill out the rotation behind Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, and Grayson Rodriguez.
- Blue Jays top pitching prospect Ricky Tiedemann was thought to be on the cusp of his big league debut entering the 2024 campaign, but those plans were scuttled when he was sidelined just eight innings into his season by inflammation of the ulnar nerve in his elbow. While it’s certainly fortunate that the lefty avoided any structural damage, the injury has nonetheless left him sidelined for the majority of the season. Fortunately, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi relayed earlier today that, according to Toronto manager John Schneider, Tiedemann threw a live bullpen yesterday where “everything went well.” Schneider went on to note that the next step for Tiedemann could be a rehab game either with Single-A Dunedin or perhaps with the club’s Florida Complex League team.