Brandon Hyde comments hint at Orioles plan to replace Zach Eflin in rotation

With righty Zach Eflin still on the IL and dealing with a shoulder issue, the Orioles will have to find a way to fill his rotation spot on Saturday afternoon. Because of when Eflin got hurt, the Orioles have been able to sneak by with just four starting pitchers on the roster, riding with 9 guys in the bullpen since last week. Their day off on Monday allowed them to skip Eflin's turn in the rotation and keep all four of their current starters on regular rest.

That changes this weekend, however. Cade Povich is slated to throw against the Reds later tonight, and Charlie Morton will take the mound on Sunday afternoon. But they'll need someone to pitch Saturday. Could the Orioles opt for a bullpen game, and keep running with their 4/9 split into next week? Not likely.

Brandon Hyde told reporters that he wants to avoid a bullpen game in Eflin's absence, and would rather have a traditional starter take the ball for the O's. At the moment, there's nobody in the bullpen who could handle that type of workload, so it likely means a roster move is forthcoming.

The Orioles have potentially telegraphed what that move will be, by shifting right-handed prospect Brandon Young from Triple-A Norfolk down to High-A Aberdeen. The Tides are playing an away series this week, while the Iron Birds are home. Young pitched over the weekend and having him close by (the Orioles are home for their series against Cincinnati this weekend) would make it easy for the team to facilitate Young's arrival in Baltimore.

Orioles hinting at letting Brandon Young make his major league debut on Saturday against Cincinnati

Young has been a candidate for a potential call-up for a while now. He was excellent last year, pitching to a 3.57 ERA and a 3.14 FIP in 111 innings between Bowie and Norfolk. He spent the majority of the year in Triple-A. He's started this year off on the right foot as well, as he's allowed a 2.76 ERA across 3 starts, notching 17 strikeouts to just 2 walks.

All signs point toward Young being ready for a taste of the majors, and the circumstances couldn't be more appropriate. The O's added him to the 40-man this past winter to protect him from the Rule 5 draft, and he's done plenty to prove that he's ready to make his debut.

The one potential hang up is that the O's also signed veteran Kyle Gibson this winter to provide depth in the event that they needed innings in Baltimore. Gibson isn't totally stretched out, as he signed just before Opening Day and has only had about three weeks to ramp up his throwing program and get ready for the season.

With the info that we have, it looks like the Orioles will use one of Young or Gibson on Saturday. Given that they've kept Young behind in Aberdeen and his throwing schedule lines up well enough with when the Orioles will need him to pitch makes it seem like the team has already made their decision. Whether Young pitches well enough to stick around into next week remains to be seen, but all signs point toward him making his major league debut this weekend.