Orioles GM Mike Elias made a lot of bulletins because the membership begins to finalize its Opening Day roster plans, as relayed by a number of reporters together with Wealthy Dubroff of Baltimore Baseball. Most notable amongst these bulletins is the truth that star shortstop Gunnar Henderson will open the season on the 10-day injured listing. Moreover, Elias introduced that southpaw Cade Povich will function the membership’s fifth starter to open the season, with veteran journeyman Albert Suarez serving in a bullpen function.
The information relating to Henderson is a troublesome blow, given the star teen is coming off an otherworldly 2024 marketing campaign the place he completed fourth in a stacked AL MVP class. A .281/.364/.529 (155 wRC+) hitter in 159 video games final yr, Henderson paired that glorious offense with 21 stolen bases and strong protection at shortstop en path to a 8.0 fWAR/9.1 bWAR marketing campaign. Together with his twenty fourth birthday nonetheless three months away, followers in Baltimore and round MLB have been wanting ahead to seeing how Henderson will construct on his breakout marketing campaign final yr, although that can now be placed on the backburner for a minimum of the time being.
Happily, Elias indicated to reporters that the membership stays hopeful that his absence, which is because of an intercostal pressure that has sidelined him for a lot of Spring Coaching, ought to be a comparatively quick one. Henderson will miss a minimum of seven days, as he’ll must be positioned on the 10-day injured listing on Opening Day which could be backdated solely a most of three days, however Elias’s feedback appear to recommend that the membership expects he received’t miss rather more than that minimal time. For the time Henderson is out of motion, the Orioles may look to Jackson Holliday at shortstop, thereby opening up second base for Ramon Urias.
An alternative choice may very well be utility man Jorge Mateo, who has spent the spring restoration from elbow surgical procedure. Orioles brass have beforehand forged doubt on his capacity to be prepared for Opening Day, however Elias famous this morning that the membership is just not ruling the potential of Mateo breaking camp with the membership out totally. Mateo has expertise everywhere in the diamond however has performed the overwhelming majority of his time within the majors at shortstop, which might make him a comparatively seamless alternative for Henderson within the early days of the season if wholesome. In fact, Mateo can’t supply wherever close to the offensive explosiveness that Henderson gives, having hit simply .229/.267/.401 in 68 video games final yr.
In the meantime, Elias additionally introduced that the membership’s fifth starter scenario has been settled. The lefty Povich will be part of right-handers Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Dean Kremer, and Zach Eflin within the rotation to start the yr, with Suarez ticketed for the lengthy reduction function he opened the 2024 marketing campaign in earlier than finally being pushed right into a rotation job by accidents. It’s an thrilling alternative for the quickly to be 25-year-old Povich, who debuted with the Orioles final yr and made 16 begins, although he struggled to a 5.20 ERA with a 4.79 FIP in 79 2/3 innings of labor. He’s appeared fairly good in Spring Coaching, nevertheless, with a 3.07 ERA in 4 begins all through camp, and can look to hold that momentum ahead into the common season.
Povich’s time within the rotation figures to final solely so long as Grayson Rodriguez’s absence because of elbow irritation. The 25-year-old righty seems to be making progress in his return from the difficulty, although Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner cautions that Rodriguez is beginning “close to sq. zero” in his buildup in the direction of recreation motion. That might recommend the righty will want roughly a full spring workload earlier than he can return to the rotation even after making two begins earlier in camp, which appears seemingly to offer Povich a minimum of 4 or 5 turns by way of the rotation earlier than Rodriguez might be nearing a return, if not longer.
