Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Undergoes Offseason Surgery

The Baltimore Orioles will have to wait until spring training to see Cade Povich back on the mound after the left-hander underwent offseason surgery on his elbow. The procedure removed loose bodies from the joint, according to Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun. Povich is expected to be ready for spring training.

Povich shared an update on Instagram after the procedure. Weyrich added that Povich had been pitching through significant pain late in the 2026 season. The surgery was an important step toward addressing the issue before he prepares for next year.

The 26-year-old made eight major league appearances this season including seven starts, finishing with a 2-1 record, 4.38 ERA and 28 strikeouts across 37 innings. His workload was limited compared to the previous two seasons, when he made 16 starts in 2024 and 20 in 2025. He also spent time on the injured list with left elbow inflammation during the year and was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in September.

Povich made his major league debut in 2024 after the Orioles acquired him from the Minnesota Twins in the 2022 trade that sent Jorge Lopez to Minnesota. He has yet to establish himself as a regular rotation piece, posting a 5.07 ERA across 46 career appearances including 43 starts. His earlier seasons showed why Baltimore kept giving him opportunities though. He recorded 118 strikeouts across 112 1/3 innings in 2025, suggesting an ability to miss bats even if limiting baserunners and preventing runs remained challenges.

What makes the surgery particularly significant is the timeline of how the elbow issue developed throughout 2026. Povich was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 8th with what was initially described as left shoulder inflammation before being clarified as elbow inflammation. He met with Dr. Keith Meister in May, and at that point surgery was not deemed necessary.

He completed a rehab assignment at Double-A Chesapeake in late June before being reinstated and optioned to Norfolk. He bounced between the majors and the minors several more times before being optioned to Norfolk for again on September 1st. The loose body removal this offseason addresses what the conservative treatment approach in season could not fully resolve.

Baltimore finished 79-82 and fourth in the AL East, missing the playoffs for the second straight year. The rotation needs more dependable innings after a year in which injuries and inconsistency affected multiple starters. A healthy Povich could give himself another chance to compete for a rotation spot in 2027, but the Orioles will need to see how he responds after surgery before determining his role in camp.