The Baltimore Orioles hoped to avoid the same old story this season that derailed their progress a year ago, but they’re not off to a flying start.
On Tuesday, the Orioles fell to 2-3 after an 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers. But the far more impactful storyline came on Wednesday, when the team announced that right-handed pitcher Zach Eflin had been placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow discomfort, following a rocky 3 2/3-inning performance in his first outing of the new season.
The Orioles selected the contract of Albert Suárez from Triple-A Norfolk to provide immediate support for their tired bullpen in the wake of Eflin’s injury, the severity of which is still to be determined. But more importantly, the Orioles are immediately being put to the test in terms of rotation depth.
Baltimore took the steps it felt were necessary to lengthen the rotation in the offseason. In addition to bringing back Eflin on a one-year contract, it traded four top prospects for righty Shane Baz, who just got a long-term extension, and inked a one-year deal for veteran Chris Bassitt late into the offseason.
Last season, the Orioles only had one pitcher qualify for the ERA title, and it was righty Dean Kremer, who started the year in Triple-A and may wind up taking Eflin’s spot in the rotation moving forward. The guy with the third-most innings was Cade Povich, who was also optioned to Triple-A and could be a factor at some point early in this season.
Baltimore’s starting pitching ERA last season ranked 25th in the league at 4.65. Orioles starters threw 829 2/3 innings, good for 19th.
Eflin’s injury also feels like an early referendum on the Orioles trading away Grayson Rodriguez, a homegrown starter with four years of team control, to the Los Angeles Angels for rental outfielder Taylor Ward. Through his first five games, Ward is 6-for-20 without a home run.
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