Welcome to another edition of the Orioles Beat newsletter. After Friday’s rainout, the O’s will open their homestand at Camden Yards on Saturday, when they’ll play the first of two games against the American League East rival Blue Jays.
BALTIMORE -- Knowing more than five starting pitchers would be needed to get through the 2025 season, the Orioles built rotation depth throughout the winter. They constructed a collection of arms they felt would be enough to weather any potential adversity.
They didn’t know the injury bug would bite them this bad, though.
Zach Eflin (right lat strain) became the seventh Baltimore starter to join the injured list on Wednesday, when the 31-year-old right-hander went on the 15-day IL. It was another unexpected blow for a staff that continues to be dealt them.
As the O’s open an eight-game homestand Saturday, let’s break down their rotation landscape.
Current rotation (4): RHP Charlie Morton (8.78 ERA in three starts), RHP Dean Kremer (8.16 ERA in three starts), RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (2.89 ERA in two starts), LHP Cade Povich (3.48 ERA in two starts)
Because of Monday’s off-day, the Orioles don’t need a fifth starter until April 19. So they could stick with these four for the next week.
However, this is a group that has largely underperformed. Sugano has been solid at the start of his first MLB season, while Povich mostly pitched around trouble in his last start in Kansas City, where he allowed four runs (only one earned) on 12 hits in six innings last Sunday.
But Morton and Kremer have had tougher starts to the year as they aim to get on track soon.
“I mean, for me personally, it’s like, I’ve got to get going,” the 41-year-old Morton recently said. “For me, that’s what it’s about. Guys get hurt. All teams have bad luck. All teams have injuries. It’s just, as an individual, stepping up and doing my job.”
