Baltimore Orioles left-hander Cade Povich left Thursday's start early.
The Baltimore Orioles starting rotation has been decimated by injuries less than two months into the regular season. As a result, Baltimore has struggled to meet expectations, entering Friday with a 17-21 record and searching for stability anywhere it can find it.
And in May, unfortunately the team's injury luck has not improved. A fourth arm may now be joining Trevor Rogers, Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer on the injured list.
Left-hander Cade Povich was unable to finish his start Thursday against the Miami Marlins. He threw just 43 pitches, allowing three runs across three innings of work before the Orioles were forced to turn to the bullpen. During the game, the team announced that Povich exited due to left forearm discomfort.
After the game, manager Craig Albernaz provided another update on his condition and explained when Povich first felt the issue. “Cade Povich is headed for an MRI tomorrow. Craig Albernaz said he felt something in the outside of his elbow in the second inning and it tightened up on him in the third,” reported Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun.
For Povich, the timing is brutal. This season represented a real opportunity, perhaps his last, to prove he belongs in a major-league rotation. He began the year in Triple-A but was promoted out of necessity as injuries piled up. Now, that chance may be interrupted by another setback.
This is Povich’s third season in the majors, and the results have been disappointing. In 2025, he struggled to a 5.21 ERA across 22 appearances. This year has not been much better, a 5.12 ERA in four games with just 12 strikeouts.
Still, with so many injuries, he had a legitimate path to an extended look and a chance to improve. That makes Thursday’s exit even more unfortunate for a pitcher once viewed as a promising prospect after being selected in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Now 26, Povich has yet to show he can consistently compete at the MLB-level. If he lands on the injured list, Baltimore will be forced to dig even deeper into its system for rotation help, a tough ask for a team already stretched thin.
With the Orioles trying to stay alive early in the AL playoff race, Povich’s MRI results will determine just how much more strain this battered rotation will have to endure. If Povich goes down, Trey Gibson could see an extended look in his place.