The Orioles placed Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Aug. 17, on account of shoulder inflammation, per a team announcement. Baltimore also placed Keegan Akin on the paternity list. Rookie Cade Povich and reliever Dillon Tate are up from Triple-A Norfolk to take the open spots on the active roster.
The Orioles acquired Eflin in their biggest move at the deadline. The righty had carried a 4.09 earned run average through 19 starts with the Rays in the season’s first half. He has gotten out to a fantastic start to his O’s tenure. Eflin has surrendered only six runs through his first four starts. He’s averaging nearly 6 1/3 innings per appearance and has turned in a stellar 25:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
That positions Eflin as the O’s No. 2 or No. 3 starter in a hypothetical playoff series. Corbin Burnes would surely get Game 1, while Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez are the presumptive choices for the next two appearances if they’re healthy. Both pitchers are currently on the injured list, but it doesn’t seem Eflin’s issue is as worrisome as Rodriguez’s is. While the youngster is shooting for a late September return after suffering a lat strain, Eflin might not miss much more than the minimum 15 days. Skipper Brandon Hyde told the Baltimore beat he’s hopeful that it’ll be a short-term stay, via Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.
Even a brief absence could have a significant impact on the AL East race. Baltimore is only half a game behind the Yankees for both the division lead and the best record in the American League. The O’s rotation depth has long been the biggest question mark on a very strong roster. With Kyle Bradish and John Means done for the season, Baltimore has deadline pickup Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer and Albert Suárez as its next three starters behind Burnes.
Rogers struggled for much of the season with the Marlins and has been hit especially hard in four starts since landing in Baltimore. Kremer looks like a fifth starter. Suárez has proved to be an excellent find in his return to the big leagues after seven years, but he’s probably best suited for a back-end or swing role on a contender. The Orioles will need to land on a fifth starter with Eflin out of action and only one off day between now and Sept. 5. Povich, one of the organization’s top pitching prospects, seems like the choice. He has had a rough opening to his MLB career, allowing a 5.77 ERA with a similarly underwhelming strikeout and walk profile across his first nine starts.
