Tyler Wells could feel his teammate’s pain, the physical and the mental. He understood better than just about anyone.

Wells has endured a pair of elbow reconstructive surgeries, the first in the minors before the Orioles selected him in the Rule 5 draft, and the second in June 2024 that kept him out until last September. He’s gone through the grind, and he knows what awaits Zach Eflin.

The Orioles re-signed Eflin to a $10 million contract in December with a mutual option and watched him win a job in camp, overcoming the odds created by his August back surgery. Manager Craig Albernaz gave him the ball on March 31 as the No. 5 starter and took it from him with two outs in the fourth.

Eflin gauged the pain in his elbow and knew what happened. He told at least one Oriole that he had torn his ulnar collateral ligament. The ensuing MRI and second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister in Texas just confirmed his fears.

“That’s literally worst-case scenario,” Wells said.

This is coming from a voice of experience.

Wells likened the news on Eflin to the misfortune hounding close friend and former teammate John Means, who worked his way back from two elbow reconstructive surgeries in 2022 and 2024 and ruptured his Achilles during a December 2025 workout on the same day that he was going to sign a contract with a new team.

“It’s pretty brutal, to say the least,” Wells said. “For me, it’s just like, trying to continue to support (Eflin) any way that I can.

“We’ve definitely had conversations about it and I would think that for someone like him, being a veteran guy, this is his first time going through Tommy John surgery, it’s definitely unique in his situation. It’s a little bit different than what I had to deal with the first two times, but just being able to bounce ideas off each other, really kind of the mental side of it, too, during rehab.

“It’s been enjoyable learning how he’s approaching it and how he’s handling it, and I think that’s where it gives you a lot of mental peace with the situation, knowing him and his attitude toward everything.”

Wells also can relate to the isolation during rehab, how it’s one of the worst parts of the whole process. He hopes that Eflin becomes a regular presence in the home clubhouse.

“He’s a lifeline to us, a pillar,” Wells said.

“We love having him around the clubhouse because he’s a great leader, so it would be good to have him around,” said manager Craig Albernaz. “It’s tough for Zach. But it’s just another challenge for him and he’s going to hit it head on.”

The sense from other Orioles, including Albernaz, is that Eflin will get past this setback and resume his career. A tear in the elbow won’t break him.

“I think he’s gonna be just fine,” Wells said, “but it does suck to see.”

“To me, it’s just another speed bump for Zach,” Albernaz said, “and I know he’s going to attack the rehab process as the pro he is.”

Eflin’s locker remains untouched at the end of a row. He stood in front of it yesterday morning, waiting only a few seconds after walking through the door to signal to the media that he’d talk about his ordeal.

“Obviously Ef, you hate it for him, but he’s been extremely supportive,” said infielder Jeremiah Jackson. “He’s in here with us and it kind of feels like we didn’t lose him. So yeah, he’s been awesome, he’s been taking it well and we’re rallying behind him, and we’re just going to play our game.”

*The Orioles will announce later today that they’ve placed first baseman Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list with a broken left foot. He can be moved at some point to the 60-day when space is needed on the 40-man roster.

He isn’t coming back anytime soon, which again strikes as incredibly unfair.

The question now is who replaces him, and it’s possible that the Orioles reinstate Jackson Holliday from the IL. They could end his rehab assignment a few days early, unless the amount of lingering soreness in his hand prevents the move.

The skimpy offensive numbers aren’t a major concern. It’s more about health.

*Dean Kremer is expected to be recalled to make tonight’s start against the Diamondbacks, unless he showed up in Baltimore for a quick workout and a crabcake.

Cade Povich could shift to the bullpen, with a reliever sent down. The other possibility is optioning Povich and letting him take Kremer’s spot in the Norfolk Tides’ rotation, but he was so impressive yesterday over 6 2/3 innings, following the two runs allowed in 5 2/3 relief innings, that the Orioles might want to hold onto him.