PHILADELPHIA – As the Orioles work to get their rotation healthier with rehab assignments for Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, they’ve got an indefinite wait on veteran right-hander Zach Eflin.

Eflin returned to the 15-day injured list Thursday with lower back discomfort. He received an epidural shot and the Orioles don’t know how much more time he’s going to miss.

“There is no plan in place for him right now,” said interim manager Tony Masolino. “Still letting the shot do its work, see how he comes out of that. And then, as he feels better or when he does, then we’ll be able to map out what the next month or two months will look like for him.”

Eflin was expected to be a trade chip at the deadline, but the injury likely quieted the market for him.

This is Eflin's third trip to the IL and his second with back pain. He was sidelined in April with a mild lat strain.

Eflin has made 14 starts and posted a 5.93 ERA and 1.416 WHIP in 71 1/3 innings.

Wells is starting tonight with Triple-A Norfolk and Bradish takes his next turn on Friday.

Outfielder Heston Kjerstad hasn’t played with Norfolk since July 25. He went on the injured list four days later due to fatigue.

The Orioles wanted to give him a chance to rest, with the intent to revisit the plan in a week or so. He doesn’t seem close to a return.

Asked earlier today for an update, Mansolino said, “I’m not ready to share yet, but I will talk about it over and we will figure out what we want to share with you guys. But nothing yet.”

Kjerstad hit .192 with a .566 OPS in 54 games with the Orioles and .149 with a .473 OPS in 27 games with the Tides. His health history includes the bout with myocarditis after the Orioles made him the second-overall pick in the 2020 draft, and the concussion suffered on July 12, 2024 after being hit on the helmet by a Clay Holmes pitch.

The 2025 season was supposed to provide the chance for Kjerstad to receive everyday at-bats and become established in the majors, but he struggled at the plate and in right field. The Orioles optioned him on June 10.

Reliever Colin Selby is on the 15-day injured list retroactive to July 29 with a Grade 2 strain of his left hamstring. He’s probably got another month before he’s ready to pitch.

“Pretty significant hamstring injury,” Mansolino said, “so it’s gonna take some time.”

Closer Félix Baustista will have a follow-up appointment on his right shoulder, but that’s the extent of his update.

“It’s coming up in the next week,” Mansolino said.

Bautista is expected to get another MRI after the swelling subsides.

First baseman Ryan Mountcastle will be reinstated from the injured list after the team returns home for a weekend series against the Athletics. He hasn’t played for the Orioles since May 30 because of a Grade 2 hamstring strain.

Mansolino sounds confident that he can keep providing at-bats for Coby Mayo after Mountcastle returns to the lineup.

“We’ll try to spread the wealth is probably the best way to put it,” he said. “Coby needs to play a lot, as we can see. So we need Coby to play, we need Coby to be the Coby we all dreamed on, right? It’s gonna take some time for him. We can’t expect Coby to be this massive impact guy in 2025. He might become that and I hope he does, but I think we’ve just got to kind of temper expectations in some way and know that at some point it’s gonna click for the kid and he’s gonna be a force when it does. So we’ve gotta get him out there.”

Reliever Rico Garcia might not join the Orioles before Friday. They have a day game on Wednesday.

Infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra cleared outright waivers and accepted his assignment to Norfolk.