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Mike Elias Discusses Orioles’ Rotation, Roster

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Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias spoke to the media today, just after the club wrapped up a disappointing 2025 season. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report on what was discussed, with various details at these links.

The rotation was a natural point of focus, with Elias saying the club wants to add a starter to the front half of its rotation, which could be either a #1, a #2 or a #3. Such distinctions are fairly subjective but the point would be to have another guy capable of slotting in next to Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers somewhere in the front half of the rotation. Baltimore starters ranked 24th in the majors with a 4.65 earned run average this year, so bolstering the rotation is a straightforward target.

What will be interesting to monitor is if the club changes its level of aggressiveness. Throughout Elias’s tenure, the club has never given a free agent pitcher a multi-year deal, as shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. The only time they’ve gone beyond one year for any free agent was Tyler O’Neill’s three-year pact, which had an opt-out after the first season.

Many Baltimore fans were hoping for change last winter, which was the first offseason under new owner David Rubenstein. In November of last year, Elias raised those hopes by saying that the O’s were considering “the whole spectrum” of available players, which included “high-end free agent deals over many years.” But in the end, their rotation adds were fairly modest. They gave a one-year deal to 41-year-old to Charlie Morton and another one-year deal to 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano, who was coming over from Japan and had no major league experience.

As mentioned, the club’s rotation went on to be a big part of their rough 2025 season. The coming weeks and months will eventually shed some light on if they plan to alter the way they go about bolstering the group for 2026.

While Bradish and Rogers are locked into two spots and Elias hopes to bring in another, that still leaves a couple of spots open at the back end. And of course, a modern baseball team never gets through a full 162-game season using just five starters, so various arms of the roster should play important roles. With that in mind, Elias noted that Grayson Rodriguez is expected to be ready for spring training. He also said that Tyler Wells is good with being a starter or a reliever but the club plans on him being a starter.

Rodriguez has shown tremendous promise but is a huge question mark right now. He logged 122 innings in his 2023 rookie season. Ideally, he would have increased his workload in 2024 but shoulder injuries limited him to 116 2/3 frames. In 2025, both elbow and shoulder injuries wiped out his entire season. He started the campaign on the IL due to elbow inflammation. While on the IL for that, a lat strain set him back. In July, the shoulder was apparently fine but the elbow still a problem. He underwent a debridement surgery in August.

While it’s encouraging that he is on track to be ready by spring training, the O’s probably can’t rely on him at this point. Even if he proceeds without setbacks through to the start of next season, the O’s will have to think about his workload after this lost year.

As for Wells, he just came back from a UCL surgery he underwent in 2024. He got back to the majors in time to make four starts with a 2.91 ERA. He now has a solid 3.98 ERA in his career, as well as a 22.8% strikeout rate and 6.2% walk rate. Those numbers make him a decent rotation candidate next year but he may also have workload limits. Between his rehab work and his big league starts to finish the season, he only logged 47 innings in 2025.

Elias also addressed the club’s catcher situation, saying that Adley Rutschman will be the club’s primary backstop. Rutschman once seemed well establish in that role but his performance has dipped in recent years. He had a .268/.369/.439 batting line through 2023 and was continuing in that fashion through the first half of 2024. However, he appeared to injure his hand when it was struck by a foul ball, which led to a .207/.282/.303 line in the second half of last year.

Ideally, he would have been fully healthy and back on track in 2025 but that didn’t happen. He strained both his right and left oblique at separate times this season and only got into 90 games with a .220/.307/.366 line.

As Rutschman has been struggling, Samuel Basallo has continued to raise his stock. He reached the majors late this season and then the O’s signed him to an eight-year extension. That’s obviously a tremendous vote of confidence but he’s still just 21 years old, has questions about his defense and a .165/.229/.330 line thus far in the big leagues.

Though Basallo has a bright future, it’s understandable that he Rutschman is still ahead of him on the depth chart. Basallo can also play some first base, so perhaps that allows him and Rutschman to co-exist in the lineup, though that could also impact other players like Coby Mayo or Ryan Mountcastle.

Elias also provided a vague update on outfielder Heston Kjerstad, who is seeing doctors due to some unspecified medical condition. Kjerstad didn’t play after the month of July this year with reports of fatigue. His current medical examinations could be related to that fatigue, though that’s mere surmise.

Photo courtesy of Tim Heitman, Imagn Images

Orioles Designate Corbin Martin, Elvin Rodríguez For Assignment

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The Orioles announced that right-hander Tyler Wells and infielder/outfielder Jorge Mateo have been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Catcher Maverick Handley has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in one corresponding active roster move. Right-hander Corbin Martin has been designated for assignment to open a second active roster spot and one 40-man spot. Righty Elvin Rodríguez, who was on optional assignment, has also been designated for assignment as the other corresponding 40-man move. The Wells activation was reported last week.

Mateo has been out since June due to a hamstring injury. The speedy utilityman hit just .180/231/.279 with a homer and 14 steals in 65 plate appearances prior to going on the injured list. The 30-year-old has never provided much in the way of offense, but even by his modest standards, that was well shy of the norm. In 1300 plate appearances from 2021-24, Mateo slashed .225/.271/.371 (79 wRC+) with 29 homers and 90 stolen bases. Mateo has long provided quality glovework at shortstop, though, and he can capably handle second, third or center field — all while providing elite speed on the bases.

This is the final guaranteed season the Orioles have with Mateo, though they can retain him via a club option for next season. They’d need to bring him back at a $5.5MM price point, however, which feels steep given the season he’s had and his prior lack of offensive production. There’s no buyout on the option, making it all the more likely that the O’s will turn it down, though there’s always a chance they’d try to bring him back at a lower rate.

Martin, 29, has been on and off Baltimore’s roster a few times this year. Around the transactions, he has tossed 18 innings, allowing 12 earned runs for an ERA of 6.00. He likely deserved better. His 10.1% walk rate was high but his 25.8% strikeout rate and 44.2% ground ball rate were solid figures. A .353 batting average on balls in play and 65.7% strand rate seemingly pushed some extra runs across. His 3.57 SIERA pointed to better run prevention going forward.

Regardless, the O’s have decided to move on again. Martin doesn’t have options and therefore can’t be easily sent back to the minors. With the trade deadline having passed, he’s destined for the waiver wire. If some club claims him, he can be controlled for four seasons after this one. He cleared waivers back in July, so it’s possible he’ll do so again. Last time he cleared, he exercised his right to elect free agency, which is another thing that could happen again in the coming days.

Rodríguez, 27, signed with the Brewers in January on the heels of some good results in Japan. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to have success in North America this year. The Brewers designated him for assignment in July, at which point the Orioles claimed him.

Between those two clubs, he has a 9.15 ERA in 19 2/3 major league innings. He has also tossed 40 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.46 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. Though the results haven’t been great, he does still have options, so perhaps he will appeal to a club looking for some extra depth in the minors.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

Orioles To Move To Six-Man Rotation

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The Orioles will go to a six-man rotation next week, interim manager Tony Mansolino tells reporters (including Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun). Tyler Wells made his final rehab start tonight to complete his return from May 2024 elbow surgery. Wells threw 6 1/3 frames of two-run ball on 90 pitches for Triple-A Norfolk.

Baltimore will reinstate Wells from the 60-day injured list next week. Active rosters expand on September 1, so the O’s can stick with an eight-man bullpen while running a six-man rotation. It’ll buy an extra day of rest for each of Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Tomoyuki Sugano, Cade Povich and Dean Kremer. Bradish just returned from his own elbow procedure last night.

Wells, 31, flashed back-of-the-rotation ability before his injury. He had his best season in 2023. The righty turned in a career-low 3.64 earned run average across 118 2/3 innings. Wells fanned a quarter of opponents with a solid 7.2% walk rate. He surrendered almost two home runs per nine frames, however, and was the beneficiary of a depressed .200 batting average on balls in play.

It was a good enough showing for Wells to open the ’24 season in the rotation. He only made it through three starts before suffering the elbow injury that required UCL surgery. It wound up costing him the better part of two seasons. Wells will probably make four starts to finish the season. That should position him for a normal offseason as he prepares to battle for a rotation spot next spring. Wells is making $2.075MM this season; he’ll be paid a similar amount next year in his second trip through arbitration. He’s controllable through 2027.

Orioles Notes: Bradish, Wells, Mateo

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While the 60-70 Orioles are nine games back of a Wild Card spot and would need nothing short of a miracle to make it into the postseason at this point, that isn’t stopping them from doing what they can to best set themselves up for 2026. So far, that’s meant offering ample playing time to young players like Coby Mayo, Dylan Beavers, and the recently-extended Samuel Basallo. One other way to set the roster up for 2026, however, is to get reps in for players who are working their way back from injury.

Three such players are nearing returns from the injured list for Baltimore. Danielle Allentuck of the Baltimore Banner was among those to relay that Kyle Bradish is likely to be activated from the injured list to start Tuesday’s game for the Orioles, while Rich Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball was among those to note that both Tyler Wells and Jorge Mateo figure to be activated from the injured list when rosters expand on September 1. All three players are currently on the 60-day injured list and will need to be added to the 40-man roster when activated.

For Bradish, Tuesday’s expected start will mark his first time on a big league mound since he was sidelined last June due to Tommy John surgery. He’s been on the mend ever since, and has made six rehab starts in the minor leagues as he prepares for his return to the majors. Getting Bradish into a good place to help front the Orioles’ rotation in 2026 figures to be a top priority for Baltimore over the next few weeks. The righty was emerging as an ace before he went under the knife last year, as he followed up a fourth-place finish in 2023 AL Cy Young award voting with a 2.75 ERA and 2.50 FIP and a 32.5% strikeout rate in eight starts last season.

If Bradish can be counted on for anything like his numbers over the last two years, where he pitched to a 2.81 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 38 starts, that would be a massively encouraging turn of events for the Orioles as they look to get back on track next year. Starting pitching was undeniably Baltimore’s Achilles heel this year, as short-term fliers on players like Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano were unable to compensate for the loss of Bradish due to injury and Corbin Burnes due to him signing with the Diamondbacks in free agency last winter. Burnes went on to have a difficult season of his own in Arizona that ultimately ended in Tommy John surgery, but his absence at the top of the Orioles’ rotation has nonetheless been felt as Baltimore starters have combined for a 4.76 ERA this year that stands as the worst mark in the American League.

Another arm who could help right the ship in terms of starting pitching is the right-handed Wells. Wells underwent an internal brace procedure on his UCL just a few days after Bradish’s own surgery, and while his contributions in 2024 were limited to just three starts where he surrendered 11 runs (ten earned) in 15 1/3 innings of work, he was a useful back-of-the-rotation starter and swing man for the Orioles prior to that year with a 3.96 ERA and 4.53 FIP across 43 starts and 49 relief appearances from 2021 to 2023. If Wells can get back to being that sort of dependable, league-average piece, that would go a long way to raising the floor for the Orioles next year. It’s not entirely clear whether Wells will be able to squeeze into Baltimore’s rotation upon returning given the presence of Sugano, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich, and Trevor Rogers (not to mention Bradish), but it’s not impossible that the club could at least consider a six-man rotation down the stretch.

On the position player side of things, the Orioles also figure to welcome Mateo from the injured list. Mateo, 30, is a pending free agent after this year who has been limited to just 32 games due to a number of injuries this season. After undergoing elbow surgery last August and beginning the season on the injured list, Mateo was sidelined by inflammation in that same elbow back in June. He suffered a hamstring strain about a month after that, which was severe enough to sideline him for what at the time was expected to be between 8 and 12 weeks.

His return will be on the shorter end of that timeframe, as he’s expected to return just under eight weeks after sustaining that injury. Mateo will look to finish the season strong ahead of free agency after struggling to a .180/.231/.279 (41 wRC+) line in 32 games for the Orioles this year, though that body of work includes just 65 trips to the plate. Typically, he’s been a below average but decent enough hitter for a bench role, and hit .225/.271/.371 (78 wRC+) in 423 games from 2022 to 2024.

Orioles Notes: Eflin, Bradish, Wells, Mountcastle

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The Orioles announced this morning that right-hander Zach Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure. The season-ending back surgery was announced last week, and this morning’s procedure went as expected, per the team. Eflin is hopeful of having a “normal” offseason after about 12 weeks, but recovery from this type of procedure can take anywhere from four to eight months. Every instance is different, of course, and there’s no real way to tell just how long Eflin will be down until he begins the rehab process.

This was a disaster season for the 31-year-old Eflin, who’s been limited to 14 starts and 71 1/3 innings by a lat strain and this back issue — an injury he revealed has bothered him on and off for several years. He posted a dismal 5.93 ERA when on the field — miles away from the 3.54 mark he posted in 343 innings for the Rays and Orioles during the first two seasons of his current three-year, $40MM contract (2023-24).

Eflin said last week that he was very open to a return to the Orioles. Whether the team pursue that option remains to be seen, but the O’s will clearly be in the market for arms this offseason. Eflin is a free agent, as is righty Tomoyuki Sugano. Fellow right-hander Charlie Morton was traded to the Tigers (and is a free agent at season’s end, too). Grayson Rodriguez won’t pitch this season after undergoing a debridement procedure in his elbow. The O’s have Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Cade Povich and Brandon Young all controlled through next year. Righties Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish can hopefully contribute down the stretch after they wrap up their rehab from last year’s UCL procedures, but a return to full health and prior levels of performance can’t simply be assumed.

Bradish, according to Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com, is expected to make one final rehab start before he returns from what will end up being about a 14-month absence due to Tommy John surgery. He’s made five minor league starts and pitched to a 4.67 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate in 17 1/3 innings thus far. Wells, who had internal brace surgery around the same time as Bradish had his own operation, has made four rehab starts and pitched 13 innings of 2.03 ERA ball with nearly identical strikeout and walk rates to those of his teammate (28.3%, 7.5%). Bradish is controlled three more years beyond the current season. Wells is controlled for two more years.

Elsewhere on the roster, Ryan Mountcastle is facing some roster uncertainty of his own. The longtime Baltimore first baseman missed more than two months with a hamstring injury, and he returned to a very different roster. The O’s sold off veterans Morton, Cedric Mullins, Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano, Seranthony Dominguez and Gregory Soto at the trade deadline. Prospects Coby Mayo and Samuel Basallo are now getting legitimate auditions to show they can be long-term contributors at Camden Yards.

The presence of both Mayo and Basallo has and will continue to cut into Mountcastle’s playing time. The 28-year-old Mountcastle chatted with Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner about his reduced role, stating that he took it in stride and will be eager to help Mayo or Basallo with any questions or insight they might seek down the stretch. “Whatever they need, whatever I can do to help, I’m willing to do it,” Mountcastle said.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino told Kostka that he’ll try his best to be “creative” and get at-bats for Mayo, Basallo, Mountcastle and catcher Adley Rutschman to the extent possible. Basallo will be backing up Rutschman behind the plate but also factor in at first base and designated hitter — Mountcastle’s two positions.

From a bigger-picture standpoint, it’s increasingly fair to wonder about Mountcastile’s future outlook with the team. He’s eligible for arbitration for the final time this winter and will get a raise north of $7MM. He’ll be a free agent after the 2026 season. The O’s, as previously mentioned, are going to need to invest in the rotation this winter and, in Mayo and Basallo, now have younger pre-arbitration options to step in at first base and DH. It’s easy enough to see Mountcastle being traded or, depending on how he finishes, perhaps even non-tendered.

Mountcastle struggled tremendously prior to landing on the injured list, hitting just .246/.280/.348 in exactly 200 plate appearances before his injury. He’s had limited playing time but looked excellent upon his return. He hit .387/.486/.806 in nine rehab games (31 plate appearances) and, since returning, is 8-for-29 with two homers, a double, a pair of walks and a hit-by-pitch. He’s slashing .276/.333/.517 in his first 33 plate appearances back on the big league roster and has even stolen a pair of bases (despite stealing just three in each of the past two seasons).

So far, anyway, the hamstring looks to be rehabilitated, and Mountcastle looks far better than he did early on. It bears reminding that from 2021-24, Mountcastle was a key factor in a terrific Baltimore lineup, hitting .260/.312/.447 with 86 home runs, 102 doubles and five triples. He’s a right-handed hitter who’s beat up left-handed pitching throughout his career and turned in slightly better-than-average results versus righties. He’s also a sound defensive first baseman. With a 2026 salary likely in the vicinity of $8MM, Mountcastle could be a nice short-term pickup for a team looking for a stopgap option at first base — if the Orioles elect to go with their up-and-coming bats at the position.

Orioles Select Matt Bowman

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The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman.  Righty Tyler Wells was placed on the 60-day injured list in the corresponding move, as Wells is expected to miss at least the first couple of months of the season as he recovers from a UCL-related surgery last June.

Bowman saw big league action for four different teams in 2024, delivering a 4.40 ERA over 30 2/3 combined innings with the Twins, Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Orioles.  Baltimore was the last stop in that transactional carousel, as Bowman posted a 3.45 ERA in 15 2/3 innings for the O’s after his minors deal was selected to the active roster in August.  The Orioles outrighted Bowman after the season and he elected free agency, only to re-up with the team on another minor league contract in December.

That new minors deal contained an opt-out clause that could’ve been triggered today, Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner writes.  Technically, today’s move just continues the Orioles’ control over the right-hander and doesn’t officially guarantee that he’ll be included on the team’s Opening Day roster.

But, Bowman made a solid showing in the Grapefruit League by posting a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 innings across six appearances, so it would appear as though he will likely end up breaking camp.  He is also out of minor league options, which might’ve also helped his case in making the roster if the O’s didn’t want to try and sneak him through waivers.  For making the big league roster, Bowman would receive a $1.1MM salary, as well as another $400K in available incentives.

Bowman is a veteran of six MLB seasons, though he didn’t play at all during the 2020-22 seasons while recovering from a Tommy John surgery and other injuries.  Bowman had a 4.02 ERA and a 56.6% grounder rate over 181 1/3 relief innings for the Cardinals and Reds from 2016-19, and a 4.93 ERA in 34 2/3 innings since returning from his injury hiatus in 2023.  His grounder rate over the last two seasons is a more modest 44.4%, and he’ll likely need to bump that number back over the 50 percent mark since Bowman isn’t a big strikeout pitcher.  That said, he has shown a much greater ability to miss bats in the limited sample size of his work this spring, whiffing 10 batters over his 6 2/3 frames of work.

Players Who Could Move To The 60-Day IL Once Spring Training Begins

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Most of the clubs in the league currently have a full 40-man roster, which means that just about every transaction requires a corresponding move these days. Some extra roster flexibility is on the way, however. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series but comes back when pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

Per R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports, most clubs have a report date of February 12th or 13th. The Cubs and Dodgers are a bit earlier than most, on the 9th and 11th, respectively. That’s due to the fact that those clubs are heading to Tokyo, with exhibition games in mid-March, followed by regular season games against each other on March 18th and 19th. All the other teams have Opening Day scheduled for March 27th.

It’s worth pointing out that the 60 days don’t start being counted until Opening Day. Although a team can transfer a player to the 60-day IL quite soon, they will likely only do so if they aren’t expecting the player back until end of May or later. A team also must have a full 40-man roster in order to move a player to the 60-day IL.

There are still plenty of free agents still out there, including big names like Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, as well as Nick Pivetta, Andrew Heaney, David Robertson, Randal Grichuk, Kenley Jansen, Harrison Bader, Lance Lynn, Jose Quintana and many more. Perhaps the extra roster flexibility will spur some deals to come together in the next week or so. It could also increase the ability of some clubs to make waiver claims or small trades for players who have been designated for assignment.

Here are some players who are expected to miss some significant time and could find themselves transferred soon.

Angels: Robert Stephenson

Stephenson underwent a hybrid Tommy John surgery with internal brace in late April. Given the 14-plus months required to recovery from such a procedure, he’s not likely to be ready in the early parts of the 2025 season.

Astros: Cristian Javier, J.P. France, Bennett Sousa

Javier underwent Tommy John surgery in June and is targeting a return in the second half of 2025. France is recovering from shoulder surgery and hoping to return in July. Sousa’s timeline is less clear but he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in April. Other possibilities include Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr., who are expected to start the season on the IL but returning in April or May still seems possible.

Athletics: Luis Medina, Ken Waldichuk

Medina underwent Tommy John surgery in August and Waldichuk in May. Medina might miss the entire season while Waldichuk is likely to miss a few months at least.

Blue Jays: Angel Bastardo, Alek Manoah

The Jays grabbed Bastardo from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft in December, even though he had Tommy John surgery in June. Manoah also had Tommy John around that time and is hoping to be back by August.

Braves: Joe Jiménez

Jimenez had knee surgery in November with a timeline of eight to twelve months, so he might miss the entire season. Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr. are also possibilities, though those will be more borderline. Strider had internal brace surgery in April, so returning in May is somewhat possible. Acuña is recovering from a torn ACL last year and it’s possible he’ll miss the first month or so of the season. Given how important both of those players are, Atlanta probably won’t put them on the 60-day IL unless it’s 100% certain that they can’t come back in the first 60 days of the season.

Brewers: Robert Gasser

Gasser had Tommy John surgery in June and will be looking at a late 2025 return even in a best-case scenario.

Diamondbacks: Kyle Nelson

Nelson’s timeline is unclear, but he underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in May and missed the remainder of the 2024 season.

Dodgers: Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt, Emmet Sheehan

Stone underwent shoulder surgery in October that will cause him to miss the entire year. Graterol also underwent shoulder surgery and isn’t expected back until the second half of 2025. Each of Ryan, Hurt and Sheehan required Tommy John surgery in 2024: Ryan in August, Hurt in July and Sheehan in May.

Guardians: Sam Hentges, David Fry, Shane Bieber, Trevor Stephan

Hentges required shoulder surgery in September, with an expected recovery timeline of 12 to 14 months. Fry underwent UCL surgery in November with a more fluid timeline. He won’t be able to throw at all in 2025 but could be cleared for designated hitter action six to eight months from that surgery. Bieber is perhaps a borderline case, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in April. Given his importance, the Guards may not transfer him to the 60-day IL until it’s assured that he won’t be back in the first 60 days of the season. Stephan underwent Tommy John surgery in March and perhaps has a chance to avoid the 60-day IL, depending on his progression.

Mariners: Matt Brash, Jackson Kowar

Brash underwent Tommy John surgery in May. Given the typical 14-month recovery timeline from that procedure, he would be looking at a midsummer return. However, it was reported in November that he’s ahead of schedule and could be back by the end of April. That’s an optimistic timeline but the Mariners will probably hold off moving him to the 60-day IL until the door is closed to an early return. Kowar underwent Tommy John in March, so an early return in 2025 is possible for him, depending on how his recovery is going.

Marlins: Braxton Garrett, Eury Pérez

Garrett just underwent UCL surgery last month and is going to miss the entire 2025 season. Pérez underwent Tommy John surgery in April of last year and will miss at least part of the beginning of the 2025 campaign.

Mets: Christian Scott

Scott required a Tommy John surgery and internal brace hybrid procedure in September and will likely miss the entire 2025 season.

Nationals: Josiah Gray, Mason Thompson

Gray required a Tommy John surgery and internal brace hybrid procedure in July, meaning he’ll miss most or perhaps all of the 2025 season. Thompson required Tommy John surgery in March, so he has a better chance to make an early-season return if his recovery is going well.

Orioles: Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells

Bradish and Wells each required UCL surgery in June, so they’re both slated to miss the first half of the upcoming campaign.

Padres: Joe Musgrove

Musgrove had Tommy John surgery in October and will therefore miss the entire 2025 season. However, the Padres only have 36 guys on their 40-man roster at the moment, so they’ll need to fill those spots before moving Musgrove to the 60-day IL.

Pirates: Dauri Moreta

Moreta required UCL surgery in March, so an early-season return is possible if his rehab is going well, though he could end up on the 60-day if the club goes easy with his ramp-up or he suffers any kind of setback.

Rangers: Josh Sborz

Sborz underwent shoulder surgery in November and is expected to miss the first two to three months of the upcoming season.

Rays: Nate Lavender, Ha-Seong Kim

The Rays took Lavender from the Mets in the Rule 5 draft, even though he had Tommy John in May and will miss the start of the season. Kim’s status is more up in the air after he had shoulder surgery in October. Various reports have suggested he could return anywhere from April to July. The Rays made a sizable investment in Kim, their largest ever for a position player, so they probably won’t shelve him until they get more clarity on his status.

Red Sox: Patrick Sandoval, Garrett Whitlock, Chris Murphy

Sandoval had internal brace surgery in June of last year and should miss the first half of the season. Whitlock had the same surgery in May, so he could have a bit of a better chance to return in the first 60 days of the season. Murphy underwent a fully Tommy John surgery in April and will certainly miss the beginning of the upcoming season. Another possibility is Lucas Giolito, who had internal brace surgery in March, though he expects to be ready by Opening Day.

Reds: Julian Aguiar, Brandon Williamson

Aguiar underwent Tommy John surgery in October and Williamson in September, so both are likely slated to miss the entire 2025 season.

Tigers: Sawyer Gipson-Long

Gipson-Long underwent internal brace surgery in April. On top of that, he underwent left hip labral repair surgery in July, with the club hoping to address both issues at the same time. It seems likely that he’ll miss some of the early 2025 schedule, but his IL placement will depend on how he’s been progressing.

White Sox: Jesse Scholtens

Scholtens underwent Tommy John surgery in early March. Whether he goes on the 60-day IL or not will depend on how he’s progressed since then and when the White Sox expect him back.

Yankees: Jonathan Loáisiga

Loáisiga underwent internal brace surgery in April, so he could potentially be back on the mound early in the 2025 season. It was reported in December that the Yankees are expecting him to be in the bullpen by late April or early May, so he’ll only end up on the 60-day IL if he suffers a bit of a setback.

Orioles Select Nick Maton

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The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Nick Maton. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, right-hander Tyler Wells was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Outfielder Kyle Stowers was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk to get Maton onto the active roster.

The move is seemingly related to the injury of Jordan Westburg. While fielding a grounder last night, Westburg collided with Juan Soto of the Yankees, who was trying to run from second to third base. Manager Brandon Hyde said after the game that Westburg is day-to-day with a left hip contusion, per the MLB.com injury tracker.

The Orioles have been splitting the playing time at second and third base between Westburg, Jorge Mateo and Ramón Urías. If Westburg is out of action for a few days, that means Mateo and Urías need to be in the lineup.

That scenario would have left them with no backup infielder while Westburg is hurt, so they have selected Maton. The 27-year-old was acquired from the Tigers in a cash deal in the offseason but didn’t make the club’s roster out of Spring Training. Since he’s out of options, the O’s put him on waivers and were able to pass him through unclaimed, outrighting him to Norfolk.

He has played 41 games for the Tides this year with good results. He has seven home runs and has drawn a walk in 12.5% of his 168 plate appearances. He’s hitting .294/.387/.483 overall for a 126 wRC+. He has done that while spending time at all four infield positions and a brief showing in right field as well.

That solid performance will get Maton back to the majors, at least for now. Since the O’s haven’t put Westburg on the IL and didn’t call up a notable prospect like Connor Norby or Coby Mayo, perhaps they only envision needing coverage for a few days. If that is indeed the case, Maton is out of options and would have to be designated for assignment again if they want to remove him from the roster. But if he manages to hold his spot, he has less than two years of service time and could be cheaply retained in future seasons.

As for Wells, it was reported about three weeks ago that he would require season-ending surgery of some kind on the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow. The O’s announced two days ago that the procedure had been completed, describing it as “right elbow revision ulnar collateral ligament surgery with UCL repair and internal brace augmentation.” He’ll be out for the rest of this year and likely part of the 2025 season as well.

MLBTR Podcast: Gambling Scandal, The State Of The Blue Jays And The Orioles’ Rotation Depth

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Since the Brewers and Willy Adames didn’t reach an extension, is there any chance the Brewers consider trading him this summer? (24:25)
  • It seems like there are more season-ending injuries, but is there any data to support that? If there is, is MLB taking a look at mitigating? (28:25)
  • What will be the financial components of the deadline? Are there any teams that might have a surprising amount of payroll room? (33:50)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

John Means, Tyler Wells To Undergo UCL Surgery

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Orioles general manager Mike Elias informed the media today that both left-hander John Means and right-hander Tyler Wells will undergo elbow surgery. Each player will be undergoing ulnar collateral ligament repair, though it’s not known if either will be full Tommy John surgery or the internal brace alternative. In either case, both players are now set to miss the remainder of the season. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to relay the news on X.

It’s an unfortunate double blow to the Baltimore rotation depth. The news on Means is particularly heartbreaking as he just got back from a lengthy Tommy John layoff not too long ago. He went under the knife in April of 2022, missing the majority of that season and most of the following season as well.

He did return to the mound late in 2023 but felt renewed elbow soreness. He was left off the club’s playoff roster last year and the O’s then tried to slow-play his ramp-up here in 2024. He started the season on the injured list and was reinstated at the start of May, making four starts before landing back on the IL with a left forearm strain.

Now Means is set for yet another long rehabilitation period, which will include the remainder of this season and likely a decent chunk of 2025 as well. From 2019 to 2021, he was one of the few bright spots for the club during its rebuilding phase. He tossed 345 1/3 innings in those three years, one of which was shortened by the pandemic, with a 3.73 ERA. But due to the elbow issues, he’s only thrown 52 1/3 innings over the past three seasons and that number won’t be going up now.

In addition to giving Means another huge obstacle to overcome, this surgery has the chance to end his tenure with the Orioles. He will pass six years of major league service time by season’s end and is set for free agency this coming winter. At that time, he will be heading into his age-32 season with an uncertain health outlook after all the aforementioned elbow work. Perhaps he and the Orioles will work out a new contract to cover his rehab period, if both sides are interested, but he could also consider getting healthy again and before showcasing himself for other clubs.

Wells, 29, landed on the injured list in the middle of April due to elbow inflammation. It appears that the club didn’t find much success with whatever non-surgical options it was exploring over the past six weeks and ultimately decided that surgery was indeed necessary.

The righty has a 4.06 ERA with the O’s since the start of 2021, pitching both out of the rotation and out of the bullpen. He reached arbitration in the most recent offseason as a Super Two player and is making $1.9625MM this year. He would be in line for another pass through arbitration this winter but wouldn’t be able to get a big raise after missing the vast majority of the current campaign. It’s also possible the O’s decide to non-tender Wells, given his upcoming rehab, though he is also controllable through 2027 and is still optionable.

For the club, this will significantly weaken their rotation depth for the remainder of the year. They currently have a starting mix consisting of Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Cole Irvin and Albert Suárez, which is a solid group but one with question marks.

Bradish was diagnosed with a sprained ulnar collateral ligament in February. He managed to return to the club and has pitched well through a few starts, though that was also the case for Means before his elbow issues returned. Suárez has a 1.53 ERA this year but it’s his first MLB season since 2017. Irvin has a 2.84 ERA but with a low strikeout rate of 17.6%.

Even without Means and Wells, reinforcements could be coming from within. Dean Kremer is on the injured list but isn’t expected to be out too much longer. Prospects Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott are both throwing well in Triple-A this year.

The club is 35-19 and comfortably in playoff position. Perhaps they will use the coming weeks and months to evaluate everyone in that group and see how things look in the middle of July, but it also seems fair to expect the O’s to be exploring the trade market for starting pitching this summer.

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