Baltimore Orioles Receive Positive Update on Injured Ace

The Baltimore Orioles recently received some good news about a key member of their starting rotation.

Apr 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Zach Eflin in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With the Baltimore Orioles in a massive funk to begin the year, they have finally received some good news on the injury front.

As the losses are starting to mount for the Orioles, there has understandably been some frustration about the direction of the franchise.

Coming into the season, there was rightfully a lot of concern about the state of the starting rotation. Baltimore saw their ace Corbin Burnes leave in free agency, and they never truly replaced him with a front-end caliber starter.

The team was likely relying on both Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez to lead the rotation, but Eflin got injured last week and Rodriguez has yet to pitch this season.

With their two best starters on the injured list, it’s easy to understand why the team is struggling.

Luckily, it appears that Eflin might not be out for an extended period of time with a right lat strain.

#Orioles RHP Zach Eflin (right lat strain) played catch for the first time today. He’s feeling good and optimistic, agrees with Mike Elias’ timeline of weeks not months.

Eflin: “I’m not necessarily interested in missing a lot of time, so I think that aligns with my mentality.”

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) April 16, 2025

Being out weeks, not months, is certainly good news. A lat strain can take time to heal, and pitchers have missed many months because of similar injuries.

For Baltimore, getting Eflin back as quickly as possible is going to be key.

As the team slips further below the .500 mark, the starting rotation has simply not been good enough this campaign. Furthermore, while their lineup has a ton of talent, they might be pressing and aren’t living up to their potential either.

Even though things have been bad early on, there is still a lot of season to be played. If the Orioles can get Eflin and Rodiguez back healthy soon, they can make up ground quickly if both pitch well.