Back from injury, Eflin feels stronger than ever.
The Baltimore Orioles have brought back a key piece to their pitching staff after a rough 2025 season, and right-hander Zach Eflin is ready to show he's still got plenty left in the tank.
After back problems that ended his season early, Eflin recently shared a hopeful message about returning to the mound.
Eflin Speaks on His Progress
Eflin recently re-signed with Baltimore on a one-year, $10 million deal with a mutual option for 2027.
After working his way back from lumbar microdiscectomy surgery in August, the 31-year-old veteran opened up about where he stands.
"There's no reservation of trying to pitch around it; it's just my body finally being able to be smooth and deliver a pitch that I'm not worried about hurting anything," Eflin said. "It just feels natural and normal and I'm excited where I'm at."
Those words carry weight when you look at what Eflin went through last season.
The right-hander spent three stints on the injured list in 2025, dealing with a right lat strain and then battling low back discomfort before the surgery ended his year.
In between those trips to the shelf, Eflin posted a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts while going 6-5 with 50 strikeouts for a team that finished with a 75-87 record and fifth place in the AL East.
A Chance to Prove Himself Again
Eflin admitted his struggles on the mound were tied to the pain he was dealing with all year.
He said he developed bad habits in his delivery because he was trying to avoid movements that would hurt his back, and his arm slot dropped to a career-low 23.8 degrees as he worked around the discomfort.
The veteran said he feels better now than he has in years, and his first bullpen session is set for January 6 with a goal of being ready for Opening Day.
Baltimore knows what Eflin can do when healthy.
After being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays at the 2024 deadline, he pitched to a 2.60 ERA in nine starts and helped the Orioles reach the playoffs with a 91-71 record.
His best full season came with Tampa Bay in 2023, when he went 16-8 with a 3.50 ERA and finished sixth in AL Cy Young voting.
What This Means for Baltimore
The Orioles are putting together a rotation they hope can bounce back from their rough 2025 campaign.
Along with bringing back Eflin, they traded for Shane Baz from the Rays and still have arms like Kyle Bradish and Dean Kremer.
Eflin made it clear he wanted to come back to Baltimore after last year, and the Orioles believing in him after he missed so many starts means a lot.
With his back finally feeling right, Eflin has a real shot at getting back to the pitcher he was before injuries took over.