PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Orioles already were encouraged by Zach Eflin’s progress in camp following his August back surgery. His debut start this afternoon against the Rays didn’t ruin the vibe.

Ramping up doesn’t apply only to workloads.

Eflin threw 40 pitches in two-plus scoreless innings, with one hit, one walk – to his final batter – and three strikeouts. The velocity was up across the board, including a sinker that touched 94 mph.

This is the healthy version of Eflin, which makes the rotation much deeper and perhaps much more dangerous.

“There’s really no feeling like it, honestly,” said Eflin, who endured three stints on the injured list last season. “Having a brand new back, not feeling anything out there, being able to kind of go back to my old mechanics, it’s just a breath of fresh air. I think there’s a lot of buildup. It’s probably been seven months since I threw a competitive pitch and there’s a lot of nerves kind of going into this, but going out there and feeling the way that I did and just being able to pitch every single pitch like healthy, strong, how I wanted to was extremely refreshing.”

Eflin retired the side in order on 14 pitches in the first inning, striking out Theo Gillen at 94 mph and inducing two ground balls. He struck out two more batters with the count full in the second, on a sinker and sweeper, and also gave up a double on a fly ball down the line that deflected off the glove of sliding left fielder Will Robertson.

Kenny Piper walked to lead off the third and reliever Andrew Magno stranded him.

“Normally the goal for me in spring is to be able to locate up, down, in, out, all that stuff,” Eflin said. “I did that for the most part today. I was happy with the shapes of the pitches, but more so happy just with how I felt and how I’m gonna feel tomorrow. I just know I’m gonna feel good, which like I said is a breath of fresh air.”

The freedom to repeat his delivery and recapture his old mechanics led to the increase in velo.

“I was kind of surprised how it was coming out,” he said, “but that’s what I used to expect and that’s generally how I feel right now is how I used to feel when I was throwing a little harder. So I hope that keeps climbing up and if it doesn’t, that’s fine, but I feel healthy and I was hitting my spots and just refreshed.”

The Orioles re-signed Eflin to a $10 million contract with a mutual option. He’s always spoken of his affection for his teammates, the clubhouse, the culture. He couldn’t envision going anywhere else.

“I want to pitch every fifth day, I want to be a dog for these guys,” he said. “It’s such a fun team to play for. Very competitive, very motivated group. And to go out there in the trenches with these guys every day, it’s honestly a dream, man. I love playing with these guys, so I think that in itself speaks for itself. I want to be out there, I want to be on the field, I want to win with these guys. And that’s what I’m looking forward to doing.”

The culture with the rotation in particular is “a lot of fun,” Eflin said.

“A lot of crap talk, a lot of really good dudes. We’re honestly having a blast. I feel like we’ve been playing together for 10 years. I tell you guys all the time how much fun it is to go to the field every day. But being able to work alongside the five, six, seven guys that we have in the starting staff, it’s a blessing and it’s awesome.”

Still to come is whether Eflin is in the rotation for Opening Day or moved to the 15-day injured list. He doesn’t have a set number of starts in mind to be ready.

“I feel like I’m perfectly on track for anything, really,” he said. “I came into spring training with the goal of being available the first week of the season and I feel like I’m still on that track. I feel healthy, and I think as these outings come and I start going three innings, four innings, we’re gonna have a better understanding of where we’re at. But my mind’s on the first week of the season for sure.”

*Today’s game was scoreless until shortstop José Barrero homered to left field in the fifth inning.

Dylan Beavers, starting in right field, followed with a triple and scored on a throwing error. Beavers walked in his previous plate appearance.

Robertson also hit his first homer, a two-run shot in the sixth for a 4-0 lead.

Jackson Kowar allowed a hit and walked a batter in a scoreless inning. Anthony Nunez increased his scoreless streak to four appearances after allowing a hit and striking out a batter in the fifth. Gregory Barrios doubled on a 98.2 mph fastball and advanced on a wild pitch, but Gillen took a called third strike.

Cameron Foster also ran his scoreless streak to four innings in four appearances. He stranded two runners after a two-out infield single and walk.

*Former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde met with the Baltimore media earlier today, wearing a Tampa Bay Rays spring training jersey and hat in his new role as senior advisor in the baseball operations department.

Hyde was fired on May 17, 2025, in his seventh season as manager and two years after they won 101 games and posted the best record in the American League. They made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, earning the top Wild Card in 2024, but were 15-28 and in last place in the division at the time of his dismissal.

The Orioles couldn’t escape the cellar after Tony Mansolino was named interim manager. Outfielder Colton Cowser and reliever Albert Suárez were hurt in Toronto during the opening series in March and it just kept getting worse. They’d use a franchise-record 70 players.

“It was just a struggle,” Hyde said. “I wish I could have done more and would have done more. It started really in spring training for me with injuries. Lost a bunch of guys in spring, and the first series of the year we lost a few key players and just never got going. It was a challenge from Day 1.

“Like I said, I wish I would have done more to help in certain ways, but it was tough from the very beginning.”

Hyde hugged some former Orioles employees who saw him standing outside Tampa Bay’s clubhouse. He had a chance to speak with third base coach Buck Britton and a few players while the Rays took batting practice.

“It’s nice to see everybody,” he said.

“It’s a weird feeling. I’m so grateful for being here right now, but I had six-plus great years there. Great relationships with a lot of people there. It’s just a strange feeling, kind of the way it happened in May and not seeing people for a while. But it’s great to see these guys.”

Hyde has built a friendship over the years with Rays manager Kevin Cash and always respected how the team operated.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “This is an unbelievable group. I’m really grateful for Kevin and (president of baseball operations) Erik Neander and the rest of the coaching staff and front office. Everyone involved has welcomed me with open arms. They have been so welcoming to me, including me in everything.

“I’ve had a good relationship with Kevin in the past, just being across the dugout. A lot of mutual respect there, and for them to have me and do the role that I’m doing, I’m just really excited about it.”

The ultimate goal for Hyde is to get back in the dugout. Though he’s happy in his new role and much closer to his home in Venice, he wants another opportunity to manage.

“I really enjoyed it, I loved managing,” he said. “I look back very fondly of those six-plus years. So appreciative of Mike (Elias) to give me that opportunity in the winter of ‘18, and I’ll always be grateful for him for giving me that chance. And I always appreciated the relationship we had. But yeah, it’s something I love to do. I’m hoping that some day the situation comes along where it’s a good fit and someone gives me an opportunity.”

Asked his reflections on his Orioles career, Hyde said, “I look back on, for two-plus years we were one of the best teams in the league. The pinnacle of winning the American League East from the regular season standpoint after losing 110 games a couple years before. I’m always gonna be super proud of those teams. But even proud of the 2022 team. We were supposed to win 50-something games, we won 83. We came out of nowhere and beating people.

“Just what we did against our division, too, during those years with the resources we had and how well we played for those three years. Even ’24, which was so challenging in some many ways, we still won 90-plus games. So those years I’m always gonna remember them fondly, always gonna be proud of where we started and the product they’re putting on the field now. It’s electric and it’s a great, great team. To be a part of building that, I’m always gonna be proud of that.”

Update: The Orioles hung on for a 4-3 win over the Rays.

Enoli Paredes escaped a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, but the Rays scored twice in the eighth against Eric Torres, who was removed with runners on the corners and two outs. Carlos Tavera allowed a run in the ninth before recording the save.

Here’s Beavers on his triple: “I was just looking for something straight, kind of up in the zone. Guy was mixing a good bit and got a fastball kind of up where I like it and tried to be direct to it. When I hit it down the right field line, I figured I’d see if I could get to third, just to see where I’m at with my legs. So yeah, it worked out.”

Beavers on Eflin: “He’s amazing. Every time I’ve seen him throw, he’s filling up the zone, and you know, he’s a veteran, so he’s not afraid to get in there and compete. That keeps the game moving. It makes it easier on offense when the pitcher’s in the zone and getting quick outs. I think that helps give us momentum offensively, and any guys like that are super beneficial to helping the team win.”

Manager Craig Albernaz on Eflin: “He looked good. It’s another step in the right direction, a box for him to check, and he looked good. He was throwing strikes and had a really good feel for all his pitches, so that was good to see.”