Albert Suarez's injury is a tough blow to Orioles, but good for this veteran reliever

Injuries have been a common occurrence for the Orioles over the past two months, and that didn't change during opening weekend. After throwing 2.2 innings of relief on Friday, Albert Suarez was placed on the 15-day IL with shoulder inflammation.

Suarez was a key piece of the 91-win Orioles in 2024, pitching the second most innings on the team while maintaining an ERA below 4.00. He came out of nowhere for the O's, but ended up being one of the most important pitchers on the staff. He lost out on a starting rotation spot to Cade Povich in the spring, but Suarez was still set to have a major role with the club in 2025 as a long-reliever and spot starter. Without him in the bullpen, the O's called-up a familiar face to step in.

Albert Suarez injury opens the door for righty Matt Bowman

The corresponding move to Suarez's injury was the promotion of Matt Bowman. The 33 year old had a wild 2024, spending time with four different teams throughout the year. However, his best and last landing spot was with the Orioles to end the season.

Bowman was solid with the Orioles to end the year, pitching to a 3.45 ERA in 15.2 innings of work. He made 15 appearances with the O's, allowing runs in just three of them. The Orioles were clearly impressed by what he showed, leading to a non-roster invite for spring training.

Bowman didn't make the Opening Day roster in 2025, but he was one of the candidates for the last spot in the bullpen. Now with the Albert Suarez injury, Bowman gets his shot with the major league club once again.

What the O's like about Bowman

There is a major opportunity for Bowman to carve out a role with the Orioles in 2025, thanks to his dominance against right-handed hitters. In 2024, Bowman held righties to a slash line of .157/.244/.371. A big reason for this is his unconventional delivery, which starts with his back almost completely turned away from the hitter. It has clearly made some uncomfortable at-bats for opposing hitters.

This success against right-handed hitters has continued into this season (albeit, in a very small sample size). He has faced six righties in his first two outings, allowing just one single and no other baserunners. Along with his ability to get righties out, Bowman has shown that he can pitch multiple innings and operate as a semi-long reliever. He had six outings where he pitched more than an inning with the O's in 2024.

If Bowman can maintain this success, he should have a spot in the pen for the foreseeable future. The Orioles have three left-handed relief pitchers in their bullpen (Perez, Akin, and Soto), so the need for a right-handed specialist is certainly there.