Orioles rotation depth is going to be immediately tested by Zach Eflin injury

After surprising the Baltimore Orioles with a faster than expected return from back surgery, Zach Eflin's season debut was off to a promising start. He had struck out seven while only allowing one run and was close to working his way out of a jam in the fourth inning when he very suddenly exited the game with an elbow injury. He'll undergo imaging for an official diagnosis today, but the way he seemed to immediately know he needed to leave the game is not a good sign, and the Orioles have already indicated that he'll be placed on the 15-day IL.

The immediate corresponding move is reported to be the call-up of Albert Suarez, who was excellent for the Orioles in 2024 and missed most of 2025 with an injury. Suarez is being called up as a bullpen arm with the ability to cover multiple innings, since this is what the Orioles need the most at this exact moment after having to exhaust their bullpen over the last two games to cover for Chris Bassitt's mess and Eflin's injury.

When Eflin's turn in the rotation comes up, the Orioles will almost certainly call up Dean Kremer, who was the odd man out in the Orioles rotation this spring, and option Yaramil Hiraldo, who is off to a poor start in the rotation and could use a Triple-A reset.

With Zach Eflin headed for the IL the Orioles will turn to Dean Kremer

Kremer has been a fixture in the Orioles' rotation for the last four years. He's proven to be a reliable innings eater who can pitch to about a 4.00 ERA. If Eflin faces the worst-case scenario of missing the rest of the season, having Kremer in the rotation for the rest of the year, making 30 starts, would be familiar territory for the Orioles. Having a proven commodity like Kremer to fill in for Eflin in the wake of this injury is a luxury, but with Kremer back in the majors, the rest of the Orioles' pitching depth is troublesome.

Cade Povich and Brandon Young would be the next two names on the Orioles depth chart, and they've both proven to be well below replacement-level starters in their major league careers. Each is capable of having a nice outing here and there, but if another injury forces either of them into the rotation for an extended stretch, that would present a serious problem.

Just one week into the season, the Orioles' offseason strategy for building their rotation looks highly questionable. Bradish saw his velo drop mid-start for the second game in a row and did not look sharp. Chris Bassitt looked terrible in his debut, and Eflin is already injured. If the Orioles experience another disappointing season that can be directly tied to the front office's neglect of the pitching staff, President of Baseball Operations Mike Elias' seat is going to heat up quickly.