The Baltimore Orioles had a disappointing injury update to share on Wednesday.
The Baltimore Orioles were dealt a major setback following their game on Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox, as the team announced an unfortunate update on right-hander Zach Eflin.
Eflin had already been dealing with right elbow discomfort after exiting his season debut against the Texas Rangers early on March 31. In that outing, he looked sharp, allowing just one run while striking out seven batters across 3 2/3 innings before being forced to leave the game with trainers.
Baltimore transferred Eflin to the 60-day injured list on Tuesday, raising concerns about the severity of the issue. Those fears were unfortunately confirmed after he got a second opinion on his elbow.
“Zach Eflin had successful right elbow UCL reconstruction today, the Orioles announced. A huge blow for their pitching staff and a talented starter,” reported Matt Weyrich.
The surgery will sideline Eflin for the entire 2026 season and likely a significant portion of 2027 as well. It is another difficult chapter in what has been a challenging stretch for the veteran.
Eflin had re-signed with Baltimore this past offseason on a one-year, $10 million deal that included a mutual option for 2027. While that option could provide a path for his return depending on how his recovery progresses, the immediate outlook is a long road back.
This injury comes on the heels of an already difficult 2025 campaign in which Eflin made just 14 starts and dealt with multiple other setbacks. When healthy, however, he has shown he can be a valuable contributor.
After being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2024 trade deadline, Eflin was excellent down the stretch, posting a 2.60 ERA across nine appearances and playing a key role in Baltimore’s playoff push.
Now, the Orioles must adjust without him once again. With Eflin out, Baltimore’s rotation has become increasingly thin, putting added pressure on arms like Dean Kremer and Cade Povich to step into larger roles. Both pitchers will likely be counted on to help stabilize the staff moving forward.
The loss of Eflin not only removes a veteran presence from the rotation but also creates uncertainty in the back end as the Orioles look to remain competitive in the American League.
Given the circumstances, president of baseball operations Mike Elias could now explore additional options to reinforce the pitching staff, whether internally or through potential trades.
For now, though, the focus shifts to Eflin’s recovery and how the Orioles will respond to yet another significant injury blow early in the 2026 MLB season.