BALTIMORE\u2014The Orioles will need a fifth starter early next week in Chicago, depending on when Trevor Rogers makes his next start. With Thursday\u2019s offday, Rogers could start on Monday against the White Sox on normal rest.<\/p>\n
The Orioles also could slot someone else on Monday, which would have been Zach Eflin\u2019s turn. They\u2019ll need a fifth starter on either Monday or Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Eflin was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort on Wednesday, the day after he made his first start and came out of the game in the fourth inning.<\/p>\n
Dean Kremer, who started the past four seasons, isn\u2019t eligible to return until April 9th, unless there\u2019s another injury to a starting pitcher. Kremer is scheduled to start for Triple-A Norfolk on Friday.<\/p>\n
When Kremer was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk on March 21st, president of baseball operations Mike Elias predicted that he would return soon. The Orioles chose Eflin over Kremer as the fifth starter, convinced that Eflin was ready to start the season after having back surgery last August.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important to us that we keep our starters lengthened out, up and running because we have a very long season ahead of us, and I\u2019m positive we\u2019re going to need more than five, so this was the maneuver we landed on after extensive discussion,\u201d Elias said about demoting Kremer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is always tough when you\u2019re sending someone out, especially a veteran that\u2019s spent a lot of time with this team and had a good season last year, but managing a pitching staff over the course of a major league season is not easy and requires maneuvering. We\u2019re pretty confident and hopeful that it will be a short-term affair.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kremer will certainly be back with the Orioles during their next homestand, which begins on April 10th. In the first two weeks of the season, the Orioles have three off days, but beginning April 10th, the Orioles will play 13 straight.<\/p>\n
Elias tried to ensure that this year\u2019s Orioles\u2019 rotation would be deeper than last year\u2019s. In 2025, the Orioles used 12 true starters at least once in addition to four who served as openers.<\/p>\n
Of those 12 starters, only Kyle Bradish, who started just six times after Tommy John surgery in June 2024, and Trevor Rogers, who was Wednesday\u2019s starter are currently in the rotation. Rogers won his second game on Wednesday, giving up just two runs in six innings in the Orioles\u2019 8-3 win over the Rangers to give them a 3-3 record to start the season.<\/p>\n
Albert Su\u00e1rez, whose contract was purchased on Wednesday from Triple-A Norfolk and pitched in relief of Rogers, and Tyler Wells, who started four times last year after his right elbow surgery in June 2024, are in the bullpen.<\/p>\n
Su\u00e1rez could start in Chicago early next week, but for now, he\u2019s part of a nine-man bullpen.<\/p>\n
The Orioles have Cade Povich and Brandon Young, who combined for 32 starts last season, at Norfolk. Presumably, they\u2019ll be called up after Kremer should another starter be needed.<\/p>\n
Norfolk has a better rotation this season with top pitching prospects Trey Gibson, Nestor German and Levi Wells all getting early starts. Another excellent prospect, left-hander Luis De L\u00e9on, is at Double-A Chesapeake and could be with the Orioles late in 2026.<\/p>\n
Last year, when the Orioles finished 75-87 and in last placed in the American League East, they began the season with Eflin, Charlie Morton, Kremer, Tomoyuki Sugano and Povich as their starters.<\/p>\n
Eflin was lost early in the season with a lat strain. He had three stints on the injured list, the last two for a back injury, which required season-ending surgery in August. He was re-signed in December.<\/p>\n
Morton was ineffective, especially at the start of the season, and traded to Detroit at the trade deadline. Sugano, whose 30 starts led the team, wasn\u2019t re-signed. Morton retired after last season and Sugano signed with Colorado.<\/p>\n
Rogers didn\u2019t join the rotation for good until last June and dazzled with a 1.81 ERA and 9-3 record in 18 starts. He began the season on the injured list with a knee injury.<\/p>\n
Last season, the Orioles expected a productive season from Grayson Rodriguez, but he never pitched because of a variety of ailments. He was sent to the Los Angeles Angels in November for outfielder Taylor Ward and effectively replaced in the rotation by Shane Baz, who came from Tampa Bay in December for four prospects. Last Friday, the 26-year-old right-hander signed a five-year, $68 million contract extension.<\/p>\n
Rodriguez began the season on the Angels\u2019 injured list because of right shoulder inflammation.<\/p>\n
Just before the end of last year\u2019s spring training, knowing that Rodriguez wasn\u2019t going to be available, Elias attempted to fortify the starting rotation by bringing back Kyle Gibson, who\u2019d been key to the 2023 team\u2019s American League East win. Gibson had four disastrous starts with a 16.78 ERA and was quickly released.<\/p>\n
This year, the Orioles signed 37-year-old Chris Bassitt early in spring training, and he should be a big help.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s early, but not unheard of for trades if Elias wants to pursue that avenue in searching for further starter depth. Lucas Giolito, who was 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts, remains unsigned.<\/p>\n
If the Orioles decided to sign Giolito, he\u2019d need six weeks to be ready since he missed spring training.<\/p>\n