Pitcher John Means Left Off of Baltimore Orioles ALDS Roster Due to Elbow Soreness
The Baltimore Orioles have left starting pitcher John Means off their roster for the ALDS against the Texas Rangers.
Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Means was out for the series with elbow soreness. He said that Means felt the soreness after a recent sim game, and that he would need a few days rest.
Hyde also said Means should be ready for the ALCS if the Orioles can advance past the Rangers.
Means underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2022, and he did not return to MLB action until this past September.
Prior to his injury, Means was the Orioles' ace, serving as the club's Opening Day starter in 2021 and 2022. Means was named an All-Star in 2019 and he threw Baltimore's first solo no-hitter in 52 years in 2021.
The left-hander has a 3.74 ERA for his career, but a 1.060 WHIP and a 4.13 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Means made four starts at the end of this year's regular season, averaging 6.0 innings and 85 pitches per appearance. He put up a 2.66 ERA and 0.718 WHIP across those four outings, the last of which came on Sept. 29.
Without Means in the rotation, Hyde is turning to Kyle Bradish as his Game 1 starter and Grayson Rodriguez as his Game 2 starter. Starting pitchers Kyle Gibson, Tyler Wells, Dean Kremer and Jack Flaherty all made the playoff roster as well, although Flaherty was moved to the bullpen in September.
Reliever Shintaro Fujinami, meanwhile, was notably left off Baltimore's playoff roster. Hyde did not say anything about Fujinami being injured.
The Orioles' full postseason roster is listed below:
PITCHERS
RHP Bryan Baker
RHP Kyle Bradish
RHP Yennier Cano
LHP Danny Coulombe
RHP Jack Flaherty
RHP Kyle Gibson
LHP DL Hall
RHP Dean Kremer
LHP Cionel Pérez
RHP Grayson Rodriguez
RHP Jacob Webb
RHP Tyler Wells
CATCHERS
James McCann
Adley Rutschman
INFIELDERS
Adam Frazier
Gunnar Henderson
Jorge Mateo
Ryan Mountcastle
Ryan O'Hearn
Ramón Urías
Jordan Westburg
OUTFIELDERS
Austin Hays
Aaron Hicks
Heston Kjerstad
Cedric Mullins
Anthony Santander
Game 1 between the Orioles and Rangers is scheduled to get underway at 1:03 p.m. ET. The winner of the best-of-three series will face either the Houston Astros or Minnesota Twins in the ALCS.
This is Baltimore's first trip to the playoffs since 2016, as the club won the AL East and racked up 101 wins in the regular season.
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