The Baltimore Orioles will be without two of their starting pitchers for the rest of the season. Lefty John Means and righty Tyler Wells will each undergo elbow surgery over the coming days, according to what top executive Mike Elias told reporters on Friday, including Roch Kubatko of MASN. Both pitchers have suffered damaged ulnar collateral ligaments, though Elias said it's not yet determined if they'll have Tommy John surgery or the alternative internal brace procedure.
Means, 31, has been limited in recent years because of repeated injury issues. Most notable among those: Tommy John surgery in 2022, as well as back and forearm woes. Since the start of the 2022 season, he's appeared in just 10 games while compiling a 2.75 ERA (144 ERA+) and a 4.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Means is scheduled to become a free agent at season's end, making this a particularly unfortunate development for him.
Wells, 29, is a former Rule 5 pick who has matured into a quality big-league pitcher. Dating back to 2022, he's started 46 of his 51 games while accumulating a 4.05 ERA (98 ERA+) and a 3.17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Wells had been limited to just three starts this season, none more recent than April 12.
With Means and Wells both on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the Orioles will continue to turn to a rotation that includes Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, Cole Irvin, and Albert Suárez . Fellow starter Dean Kremer was recently placed on the IL with a strained triceps. The Orioles, then, figure to be in the market for rotation help before the July 30 trade deadline.
The Orioles entered Friday with a 35-19 record on the season, putting them in second place in the American League East, two games back of the New York Yankees. Come Friday night, the Orioles will kick off a stretch that will see them play 11 consecutive games against either the Tampa Bay Rays or the Toronto Blue Jays.
