Orioles projected bullpen roles after latest injury shakeup

On Tuesday night, Orioles number two starter Grayson Rodriguez was scratched from his start with what turned out to be lat soreness. An MRI showed Rodriguez has a mild strain, and the Orioles took the safe route and placed him on the 15-day IL on Wednesday morning.

While the absence of Rodriguez will be noticeable, it wasn't the only IL placement on Wednesday. The Orioles also placed reliever Jacob Webb on the 15-day IL with what's currently being described as elbow inflammation. While we're not yet sure of the severity of the issue, any time you see elbow inflammation or forearm tightness in 2024, you immediately think worst-case scenario.

Thanks to the injuries to Rodriguez and Webb, the bullpen is due for a bit of a shake up. Albert Suarez has been moved back into the rotation for the time being, though he pitched his way out of it just last month so we'll see how long that lasts.

In a bit of a surprise, Webb has been an important piece for O's manager Brandon Hyde. He's pitched to a 3.08 ERA while striking out more than a batter per inning, and his 49.2 innings pitched are second most in the Orioles' bullpen behind only lefty Keegan Akin.

While Craig Kimbrel and Yennier Cano have been Hyde's go-to options at the end of games, Webb has been one of the more reliable medium-leverage guys in the entire bullpen. If his injury ends up requiring a long-term absence, the Orioles will miss his performance sorely.

Here's how the Orioles bullpen looks heading into the final 6 weeks

As it stands, Kimbrel and Cano will still work in the high-leverage spots for the time being. Righty Seranthony Dominguez could work his way into that conversation down the stretch as well, though he'll have to either string together a number of strong appearances or watch Kimbrel pitch his way out of a job.

Behind those three, lefties Akin and Cionel Perez should be locked into the bullpen for the stretch run. Akin has pitched well enough to keep the spot and Perez is out of options and pitching well enough to stay in the conversation.

Gregory Soto is the third lefty in the 'pen right now but his first three appearances in an Orioles uniform have not been encouraging. He's allowed a combined 8 earned runs in 1.1 innings, giving up 9 hits and 3 walks with just 1 strikeout.

Akin is the one with minor league options but with Danny Coulombe's impending return but Soto could pitch his way off the roster with a couple more stink bombs in August.

The final two spots are currently occupied by Burch Smith and Bryan Baker. Neither has been particularly inspiring, though neither has been so bad as to necessitate dumping them. With the options behing this group being thin, Smith and Baker should hold their spots until at least Coulombe's return.

As it stands, the Orioles' bullpen still feels like a weak spot. Dominguez has been good since joining the O's last week but Soto has been awful. With Kimbrel still a coin flip in most of his outings, the O's will need some good luck to get through the stretch run and find success in October.