BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles put John Means on Friday’s 10-day injured list and the left-hander is expected to have additional tests on his elbow.
The Orioles announced that Means has left elbow strain. Manager Brandon Hyde described the injury as a muscle strain in the forearm but said further tests to examine the elbow are forthcoming.
“We don’t have a lot of experience in our rotation and if you lose your starter on opening day – I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but has been for a while – it’s going to be difficult,” Hyde said.
Means, who turns 29 later this month, was drawn after the fourth inning on Wednesday night. He has allowed three runs in eight innings from two starts this season.
Last year, Means was a bright spot on a Baltimore staff who finished last in the majors in ERA. He went 6-9 with a 3.62 ERA and threw a no-hitter to Seattle in May.
The Orioles selected right-hander Travis Lakins’ contract from Triple-A Norfolk and left-hander Kevin Smith cleaned waivers and was assigned to Norfolk.
The Orioles have the best pitching prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline: Grayson Rodriguez, who has started twice in Norfolk this season. However, Hyde said he does not expect Means’ injury to affect the promotion timeline for the organization’s prospects.
“I would never want to push a prospect into the big leagues,” Hyde said. “If they feel their prospects are ready, we will welcome them.”
Means’ IL change is retroactive to Thursday.