Former Orioles manager shares optimistic take on struggling pitching staff

The old adage ‘you can never have too much pitching’ has never been more true for the Baltimore Orioles than it is right now.

The loss of Felix Bautista left a void in the bullpen that could only be patched, and that patch didn’t last as long as originally hoped. The starting rotation received a huge bump with the acquisition of Corbin Burnes, but he is the only projected starter remaining from the preseason. 

Counter to the gloom and doom that's taken hold during this recent summer slide, though, former Orioles manager Buck Showalter recently provided a positive outlook on the team’s circumstances, citing this inundation of injuries as a reason to believe rather than despair.

As Showalter stated last week on the Glenn Clark Show, "They've fought through a lot injuries that a lot of clubs wouldn't have survived. And they're right there with the Yankees still, Orioles fans are going to have a lot of fun in September."

Buck Showalter says Baltimore Orioles' injury bug is a reason to believe in roster's chances of survival down the stretch

The Birds were expected to begin the season with a rotation of Burnes, Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez, John Means and Dean Kremer, which would've forced Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin into the bullpen. When Bradish and Means arrived to spring training with injuries, Wells and Irvin were able to step in. There was still no reason to worry with top prospects Chayce McDermott and Cade Povich waiting in Triple-A, but sometimes, the injury bug grabs hold and doesn’t let go. 

Both Bradish and Means returned from their injuries early in the season, and had success, but it wasn’t long before they were shut down for the season with UCL injuries. Tyler Wells was also lost for the season with a UCL injury, Kremer and Irvin struggled, and suddenly there was cause for concern. The O’s were kept afloat by a surprising comeback from Albert Suarez, but clearly they needed help. 

The bullpen wasn’t faring much better. Craig Kimbrel has been inconsistent all year long, losing his closer role twice this season. Injuries to Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb, two of the Orioles’ most reliable relievers, have left the team struggling to find outs late in games. And just when it seemed like it couldn’t get worse, it did.

GrayRod was having a breakout season when he hit the IL with lat/teres discomfort. Then Zach Eflin, who was pitching brilliantly for the O’s after being acquired at the trade deadline, went down with right shoulder inflammation. The pitchers on the IL could potentially make up the best staff in baseball. But even through all of that, the Orioles are still finding success.

With about five weeks left in the regular season, the Orioles sit narrowly behind the New York Yankees in the AL East, and still possess the second most wins in the American League. They have a firm hold on a playoff spot, and are expected to return Rodriguez, Eflin, Coulombe and Webb in September, along with All-Star infielder Jordan Westburg, who hopes to make it back during the regular season. 

Adding GrayRod and Eflin behind Burnes will give the O’s a formidable 1-2-3 punch. Kremer and Povich have shown signs of improvement, and Suarez continues to impress. Coulombe and Webb should go a long way in solidifying a struggling bullpen and allow the O’s the chance to overtake the Yankees in the division. September should be a very fun month in Birdland, just as Showalter suggested, despite several bumps along the way that would've knocked any other team off course.