Good morning, Camden Chatters.

It’s time for your daily Orioles pitching update:

The Orioles have not signed any pitchers yet.

This has been your daily Orioles pitching update.

Meanwhile, there’s some rotten news about a former Orioles All-Star pitcher, John Means. The lefty posted on Instagram that he tore his Achilles earlier this week, just as he was about to sign with a team, and had to undergo surgery. He’ll presumably be sidelined for most if not all of 2026.

It’s the latest awful twist of fate for Means, whose once-promising career continues to be ravaged by injuries. Means was an out-of-nowhere success story for the O’s in 2019, finishing as AL Rookie of the Year runner-up after transforming from a fringe prospect into the anchor of the Orioles’ rotation. He brought O’s fans plenty of fond memories, most notably in 2021 when he threw a no-hitter in Seattle, the Birds’ first solo no-no in 52 years. On some otherwise lousy Orioles teams, fans could always look forward to watching Means work his stuff every five days.

But just as the Orioles’ fortunes improved, Means’s went the other direction. In 2022, the Orioles’ first winning season in six years, Means made just two starts before undergoing Tommy John surgery. He didn’t return until the very end of 2023, and just when he was on track to make the Orioles’ playoff roster, he missed the Division Series with elbow soreness. He then made only four starts in 2024 before sadly having to get a second TJ surgery. He latched on with Cleveland in 2025 and completed his rehab by September, but the Guardians opted not to include him on their postseason roster and declined his option.

And now, just as Means was ready to return with a new club — in his words, “I was finally enjoying my first healthy offseason in four years and felt better than ever” — another freak injury has taken him out of commission. I don’t know what Means did to anger the baseball gods, but the poor guy has had one misfortune after another piled on top of him. It’s sad to think that a guy who seemed like he’d be a premier pitcher for years might never throw another pitch, but it’s a real possibility at this point.

Get well soon, John, and here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of you on a major league mound. All of Birdland will be rooting for you.

Could Coby Mayo learn to play outfield for Orioles? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Rich Dubroff is skeptical that Mayo can learn to play the outfield. I will say there’s probably a reason that the O’s haven’t tried to play him there for even a single minor league inning.

Who will lead off for O’s next year? Assessing the options – MLB.com

Let me offer a candidate who’s not listed in this article: Dylan Beavers.

Suárez return raises more relief questions, more mailbag leftovers for breakfast – School of Roch

Albert Suárez wasn’t exactly who I was expecting the Orioles’ next free agent bullpen signing to be, but sure, throw him into the mix and see what happens.

Do Orioles have best lineup in MLB with Pete Alonso? Mike Elias thinks so. – The Baltimore Sun

I feel like people were saying the same thing about the Orioles’ lineup before the 2025 season, and, well, you saw how that turned out.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Three former Orioles were born on this day: left-hander Doug Johns (58), righty Mike Fetters (61), and the late outfielder Chito Martínez (b. 1965, d. 2025), the only Belize-born player in MLB history.

The Orioles have made a bunch of free agent signings on this date, so maybe they’ll add one to the list today. In 1991, they signed former Cy Young and Rookie of the Year winner Rick Sutcliffe. The 36-year-old was at the tail end of his career, but he cemented a place in O’s history by pitching a complete game shutout in the inaugural game at Oriole Park on April 6, 1992.

In 1996, the O’s signed veteran outfielder Eric Davis to a two-year contract. Davis memorably overcame a battle with cancer during the 1997 season to return to the field that same year, and he put together the longest hitting streak in Orioles history with a 30-gamer in 1998.

And on this date in 2000, the Orioles signed former AL Cy Young winner Pat Hentgen to a three-year deal as a replacement for longtime ace Mike Mussina, who had left the O’s for the Yankees two weeks earlier. Hentgen, despite his previous success, was no Mussina. Hentgen underwent Tommy John surgery in August of 2001, and made only 40 starts in his three seasons with the Birds.