The news couldn’t get any worse than this.
The Orioles, who are battling the Yankees for the lead in the American League East, will be without two key players for the time being, leaving a large gap in their starting rotation.
Baltimore received word Friday that left-hander John Means and right-hander Tyler Wells will undergo elbow surgery to repair torn ulnar collateral ligaments in their throwing arms.
Orioles general manager Mike Elias announced the news ahead of the team’s opener this weekend series against the AL East rival Rays.
“It’s a very unfortunate situation for us and for them. It’s tough news for everybody,” Elias said. He told reporters They left the team before a 3-1 win over the Rays, “but we’ll take good care of them and get them back to their skill level in time.”
Elias later added: “Fortunately, we still feel pretty good about the starting pitching options that we have at this point.”
UCL surgery will force Means and Wells to miss the remainder of the 2024 season, which has been especially tough for pitchers in baseball health-wise.
Means and Wells each previously underwent Tommy John surgery, which caused them to miss extended periods of time.
Means underwent surgery in April 2022, while Wells underwent surgery in May 2019.
It’s unclear whether either will have to undergo another Tommy John surgery or another type of UCL surgery, such as internal brace surgery.
Means was the runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and made his lone All-Star appearance.
Means has pitched in just 10 games since the 2021 season ended due to injuries.
He made 73 starts in his seven-year career.
Wells was a key part of the Orioles’ starting rotation last season, posting a 3.64 ERA and leading the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and just the fourth time since 1997.
The Orioles are in second place in the American League East with a 36-19 record.
