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Zach Eflin will undergo lower back surgery on Monday, which should lead to a four-to-eight month recovery period.
"I think it really all depends on how the post-op stuff goes, how everything responds and how my body's moving post-surgery," he said today. "I don't expect not to be ready for spring training. From what I've heard from the surgeon, after 12 weeks I'm able to have a normal offseason, so I'm pretty optimistic it's not gonna be a long thing."
Eflin said he’s experienced back pain randomly for the past five or six years and is looking forward to the lumbar microdiscectomy, which relieves pressure on a spinal nerve caused by a herniated disc.
“It’s just gotten progressively worse,” he said. “A couple months ago an MRI was a little worse than it was previously and just seems like the disc is in a place where it’s kind of pushing against my nerve and it’s just not going away. Tried an epidural, didn’t really work, so I think the next step is just to get it taken care of, and hopefully be ready for spring training.”
Eflin said “all signs” point to the surgery bringing a permanent resolution.
The Orioles gave up on wondering what else could go wrong a long time ago.
Their luck wasn’t going to change for the better. A horseshoe would come from the thoroughbred that trampled them.
Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, starter Grayson Rodriguez and reliever Andrew Kittredge didn’t break camp with the team, and that should have provided a hint. The 2025 season was going to destroy everything in its path. It was going to break them.
Only nine players are on the active roster from the 26 who made the club on Opening Day. Seven are on the injured list, including utility player Jorge Mateo, who was questionable throughout camp after undergoing left elbow reconstructive surgery.
Remember when his status in Sarasota was worthy of daily updates?
Dean Kremer went with the high-socks look tonight, though he already stood out as one of the Orioles who’s stayed away from the injured list. Tonight marked his 24th appearance and 23rd start, the most of anyone in the rotation.
Durability is becoming a source of pride for Kremer.
He’ll also take the wins if they come to him, but it's much harder when your team doesn't score.
Kremer surrendered a run in the first inning and nothing else through the eighth in a 1-0 loss to the Mariners before an announced crowd of 19,356 at Camden Yards.
The eight innings were a season high for Kremer, who allowed five hits, threw 101 pitches and lowered his ERA to 4.17. He’s completed the seventh in seven of his starts.
The severity of injuries to Orioles starter Zach Eflin and closer Félix Bautista is confirmed. They won’t pitch again in 2025.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino announced today that Eflin will undergo surgery on his lower back next week and rehab at home. Bautista has another medical appointment later this week but he’s shut down with a “significant injury” to his right shoulder.
Eflin is having a lumbar microdiscectomy, intended to relieve pressure on a spinal nerve caused by a herniated disc. He’s gone on the injured list twice with lower back pain and was sidelined earlier this season with a mild lat strain.
Any chance to trade Eflin at the deadline vanished with his latest injury, though it didn't involve his arm. He’s made 14 starts this season and posted a 5.93 ERA and 1.416 WHIP in 71 1/3 innings. A pending free agent, Eflin could be finished with the Orioles after 23 starts and a 4.48 ERA and 1.287 WHIP.
Eflin started Game 2 of the 2024 Wild Card series against the Royals and was removed after allowing one run in four innings.
The Orioles optioned outfielder Jordyn Adams earlier today to make room for Daniel Johnson, a waiver claim yesterday from the Giants.
Johnson had one at-bat with the Orioles in 2024. He was 5-for-29 with the Giants this season.
Adams is 0-for-5 in 10 games with the Orioles and was used more for defense.
Albert Suárez is making his first injury rehab start tonight with Double-A Chesapeake. He hasn’t pitched for the Orioles since his lone appearance on March 28 in Toronto.
Johnson isn’t in tonight’s lineup against the Mariners at Camden Yards. Ryan Noda is in right field, Dylan Carlson in left and Greg Allen in center. Carlson is trying to snap an 0-for-35 streak.
The next home series begins tonight with the Mariners coming to town. The team that’s won seven games in a row and nine of 10. The team that holds the first Wild Card spot.
Get used to it.
The schedule isn’t doing the Orioles any favors. They go to Houston and Boston after the homestand, come back to Camden Yards and host the Astros for four games and the Red Sox for four. Who came up with this setup?
The next road trip is a West Coast swing through San Francisco and San Diego, sans any hopes of making the playoffs.
Oh, and there’s the home series against the Dodgers in the first weekend of September.
Grayson Rodriguez underwent a procedure earlier today to remove a bone spur in his right elbow. Dr. Keith Meister performed the surgery in Dallas, and the Orioles said it was “successful.”
The club indicated last week that Rodriguez probably would have the surgery today, putting an official end to any hopes that he would pitch this season.
Executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias stated in in a video call after the trade deadline that surgery was “back on the table,” and the timing should make Rodriguez available for spring training.
Rodriguez hasn’t appeared in a regular season game since July 31, 2024 against the Blue Jays. He went on the injured list with another lat strain that kept him off the Wild Card roster, and he didn’t pitch after a March 5 exhibition outing against the Twins in Fort Myers.
The initial complaint from Rodriguez was a feeling of sluggishness that robbed him of the usual velocity. The Orioles put him on the injured list before breaking camp with elbow inflammation.
The Orioles will continue to tweak their outfield as they play out the remainder of the 2025 season.
The latest move came today, with the Orioles claiming Daniel Johnson on waivers from the Giants. He hasn’t reported to the club but could be on the roster for Tuesday night’s series opener against the Mariners at Camden Yards.
Johnson, 30, comes back to the organization. He had one at-bat with the Orioles last summer and appeared in 118 games with Triple-A Norfolk, slashing .259/.320/.448 with 20 doubles, a triple, 21 home runs and 76 RBIs. He can play all three spots in the outfield.
Johnson was 5-for-29 (.172) with two doubles and a home run in 14 games with the Giants this season after signing on May 2.
A corresponding move is needed to make room for Johnson.
Coby Mayo walked into the clubhouse yesterday morning with a first baseman’s mitt in his hand and beads of sweat on his forehead.
He wasn’t in the lineup, but there’s always work to be done.
Mayo got in more reps at his new position, with senior advisor John Mabry handling a bulk load of the tutelage.
“He’s been with me like side-by-side during the ground balls, talking to me, going through just different kind of plays that could pile up during a game,” Mayo said. “He’s been super good even in-game going over plays with me. Maybe somewhere where I could have done something a little better, encouraging me that, ‘That was a good play.’ Just kind of talking me through some of those in-game weird situations.”
Mayo is a third baseman who’s learning to play first, with the switch beginning in the minors. And it’s much more complicated than just moving across the diamond, away from a spot that he hadn’t mastered.
Because the Orioles’ roster can’t sit still, much like a fussy toddler except with grown men, changes are coming again to a rotation that posted the second-highest ERA in the American League before today.
Cade Povich is trying to stay in it. He’s pitching to win and also keep his job, and he isn’t alone. The club is allowing for a developmental period after falling out of the playoff race, but there’s a limit to the number of starters and length of the patience displayed.
Povich registered his first quality start since April 24, holding the Athletics to one run over six innings, but Willie MacIver's two-run double off Keegan Akin in the ninth gave them a 3-2 win over the Orioles before an announced crowd of 23,183 at Camden Yards.
Akin was trying for his third save in his new role, but a leadoff walk to Darell Hernaiz and one-out single by Gio Urshela preceded MacIver's double. Pinch-runner Lawrence Butler ran through the stop sign and would have been an easy out if catcher Alex Jackson had held onto the ball. Or maybe if Gunnar Henderson's relay wasn't so far up the line.
"He didn’t mean to throw it there," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "Things are speeding up right there. He’s got his back to the play. He’s catching the ball and he just kind of threw a sinker to the plate, just kind of getting on top of it, straighten the thing out, making a better throw.”
The Orioles are shuffling their outfield again today for the series finale against the Athletics.
Jordyn Adams gets his first start, playing center field and batting ninth. He’s made six appearances in center and two in right.
Greg Allen is playing left field and Jeremiah Jackson is in right. Dylan Carlson, who's in an 0-for-34 slump, goes to the bench.
Adley Rutschman is the designated hitter. Ryan Mountcastle is the first baseman, with Coby Mayo on the bench.
Alex Jackson is batting seventh and catching.
The Orioles have a group of relievers on the roster who will be tasked with protecting slim leads in the ninth inning. They do not have a closer.
There’s a difference.
Félix Bautista is on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, and the Orioles drained the pool of veteran replacements by trading Bryan Baker, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Andrew Kittredge.
Keegan Akin recorded the save Friday night, but Rico Garcia warmed in case right-handed hitting Brent Rooker stepped to the plate.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino was asked yesterday whether Garcia will get chances in high-leverage situations. That’s clearly the case. He was on the verge of a save opportunity.
Before the Orioles played their 117th game of the season tonight, they switched up the usual routine at home by gathering in the dugout to watch the latest Hall of Fame inductions. They stood at the railing, eyes locked on former center fielder Adam Jones as he addressed the crowd and tried to control his emotions.
"I took tremendous pride playing for you guys,” he said. “I took tremendous pride playing more for the name on the front of the chest than the name on the back."
Jones turned to the bench and reminded a team going through hard times that he was there, too, early in his career and to keep grinding.
“Trust me,” he said, “you do it long enough, you’ll be where I’m at.”
Rookie Brandon Young went to the mound and began warming for his 10th major league start, walked the first batter he faced and surrendered a long home run to Shea Langeliers.
Six players from the Orioles’ 2025 draft class are reporting next week to Class A Delmarva for their professional debuts, including the first two selections, according to a source.
Catcher/outfielder Ike Irish and catcher Caden Bodine, the 19th and 30th overall picks, respectively, are joined by shortstop Wehiwa Aloy (31st), center fielder RJ Austin (93rd), shortstop Colin Yeaman (124th) and second baseman Brayden Smith (394th).
Irish was chosen out of Auburn, Bodine out of Coastal Carolina, Aloy out of Arkansas, Austin from Vanderbilt, Yeaman from UC Irvine and Smith from Oklahoma State.
The drafted players who signed have been working out in Sarasota.
On the major league side, the Orioles didn’t make any roster moves today and didn’t have any updates on injured players.
Coby Mayo stays at first base tonight and Ryan Mountcastle remains the designated hitter, as the Orioles try for their third win in a row.
Mayo has a .460 slugging percentage at home this season.
Jeremiah Jackson is in right field, Dylan Carlson is in left and Greg Allen is in center.
Brandon Young is making his 10th major league start after registering a 5.88 ERA and 1.669 WHIP in 41 1/3 innings. He’s allowed two earned runs and four total in 10 2/3 innings in his last two starts.
Athletics right-hander Jack Perkins is making his second start among 10 appearances in his rookie season. He’s recorded three saves.
Joe Orsulak wasn’t the biggest name on the Orioles. He wasn’t flashy and he didn’t put up gaudy numbers. But he could hit and throw and was comfortable flying under the radar.
Now comes his chance to soar with his selection to the Orioles Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony will be held tonight at Camden Yards, where Orsulak joins center fielder Adam Jones and broadcaster Tom Davis.
“It feels great,” he said yesterday. “Like one of my friends was telling me, you’re in the same Hall of Fame with that. It doesn’t matter if you’re the top dog or the bottom dog. You’re still in the Orioles Hall of Fame. We’re in the Hall of Fame. And that’s an honor for me.”
Orsulak led the Orioles in batting average in 1988, 1989 and 1992 and was second behind Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991, but he’s probably remembered more for his defense. Orsulak led the majors and set the franchise record with 22 outfield assists in 1991 and committed only one error in 132 games.
The clubhouse that Ryan Mountcastle walked into earlier today isn’t the same anymore. Many of his teammates are gone. No one is talking about a playoff run. He came back from his injury rehab assignment and entered a new world.
The old power returned.
Mountcastle followed Adley Rutschman’s two-run homer in the first inning with a 433-foot shot to center field, and the Orioles began their homestand with a 3-2 victory over the Athletics before an announced crowd of 20,796 at Camden Yards.
Tomoyuki Sugano completed seven innings for the fifth time this season and first since June 3 in Seattle, and the Orioles improved to 53-63. They won for the first time when held to three hits or fewer and have won twice under those circumstances in the past two seasons.
“It feels like we stole one," said interim manager Tony Mansolino. "I think you guys probably feel the same, the way that thing was kind of going."
Trades and injuries have torn apart the Orioles’ outfield, leading to a different kind of rebuild.
Cedric Mullins, Ramón Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn departed at the deadline. Colton Cowser went on the seven-day concussion list today, retroactive to yesterday, and Tyler O’Neill went on the 10-day IL with right wrist inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday.
In response, the Orioles signed Greg Allen to a one-year major league contract and he’s starting in center field tonight against the Athletics at Camden Yards. Ryan Noda is in right field and Dylan Carlson is in left.
Noda is making his third major league start in right. Carlson has much more experience but he’s in 0-for-28 and 2-for-35 slumps.
“We’ll figure it out as we go,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “We’ll play the hot hand. We’ll see what we’ve got. There will be a little platooning. We’re doing it today with Noda in right field.
The Orioles are making another series of roster moves.
They agreed to terms today with outfielder Greg Allen on a one-year major league contract. He’s wearing No. 25.
Allen, 32, is a switch-hitter who batted .270/.355/.440 with 14 doubles, a triple, six home runs and 32 RBIs in 61 games with Triple-A Iowa in the Cubs organization. He was released on Aug. 4.
Allen has a locker at Camden Yards.
Infielder/outfielder Vidal Bruján is gone. The Braves claimed him on waivers today.
The Orioles have returned home after a 2-4 road trip in Chicago and Philadelphia, with a three-game series beginning tonight against the Athletics.
Only two games separate the teams in the Wild Card race. Unfortunately, the Orioles are nine back and the Athletics are 11.
There must be more to focus on this weekend than the standings.
Ryan Mountcastle returns.
The Orioles are expected to reinstate Mountcastle from the injured list this weekend, perhaps as early as tonight. He served as designated hitter yesterday afternoon in his ninth rehab game with Triple-A Norfolk.
