Sad News: Could this be his end? 31-year-old Orioles Star is currently Suffering with a Brutal Career Ending injury….
RHP Dean Kremer (right triceps strain)
Expected return: Potentially June
Kremer is continuing to improve, per an update from manager Brandon Hyde on May 28. The 28-year-old right-hander isn’t experiencing as much soreness, and he is expected to play catch “soon.”
A day after lefty John Means went on the IL, Kremer joined him on May 24 (retroactive to May 21), becoming the fifth O’s starter to spend time on the injured list this season. According to Hyde, Kremer reported soreness in his triceps after the fourth inning of his start against the Cardinals on May 20. The team chose to exercise caution and place him on the IL, and the hope is he will not be out long. (Last updated: May 28)
LHP John Means (left forearm strain)
Expected return: TBD
Means experienced discomfort in his left elbow during his start against the Cardinals on May 22. The Orioles placed him on the IL the next morning with a forearm strain, and the lefty flew back to Baltimore for additional testing.
Means underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022, returning to make four starts last September. He missed the postseason last year due to a flare-up in the elbow, then opened this season on the IL. (Last updated: May 23)
RHP Tyler Wells (right elbow inflammation)
Expected return: TBD
On May 23, manager Brandon Hyde said Wells is starting to play catch in Sarasota, Fla. The 29-year-old right-hander has been rehabbing at the Orioles’ Ed Smith Stadium complex, Hyde previously said. Wells underwent testing earlier this month.
Wells didn’t bounce back from his April 6 start at Pittsburgh the way he had hoped and said he felt discomfort during his April 12 outing vs. Milwaukee. He was placed on the IL on April 16 for “precautionary reasons,” per Hyde, who was optimistic at the time that Wells wouldn’t miss an extended period of time. (Last updated: May 23)
INF Coby Mayo (fractured rib; No. 3 on Orioles’ Top 30 Prospects list)
Expected return: Potentially June
Mayo, who is MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 overall prospect, was placed on the seven-day injured list by Triple-A Norfolk on May 17, a day after he collided with the third-base dugout in the fifth inning of the Tides’ 8-6 loss to Lehigh Valley. The 22-year-old third baseman initially stayed in the game, but he was pinch-hit for in the bottom of the frame.
X-rays revealed a fractured rib, which will cause Mayo to “miss several weeks,” per the Orioles.
Mayo was raking during the start to his first full season in Triple-A. Through 42 games, he slashed .291/.359/.605 with 11 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 37 RBIs. (Last updated: May 17)
60-DAY INJURED LIST
RHP Félix Bautista (Tommy John surgery)
Expected return: Spring Training 2025
Bautista began playing catch in Sarasota, Fla., in late April and was continuing to do so as of May 17. The All-Star closer had Tommy John surgery last October, then underwent right elbow debridement and an ulnar nerve transposition on Feb. 9 in Dallas. Dr. Keith Meister performed both the Tommy John surgery and the additional procedures.
The secondary procedures (both common after Tommy John surgery) cleaned up scar tissue in Bautista’s right elbow and moved the nerve to free it up from compression. His reconstructed right UCL continues to heal well, and his recovery timeline won’t be affected. The Orioles still expect Bautista — who was placed on the 60-day injured list on Feb. 14 — to return for the start of the 2025 season.
