Orioles Notes Holliday Means Kreme

The Orioles placed on the minor league injured list yesterday. Despite the lack of impact on the clubs active roster, the move nonethele s raised eyebrows thanks to Hollidays status as the consensus #1 overall prospect in the sport. Fortunately, club GM Mike Elias told reporters (including ) that Holliday is dealing with a barking shoulder but that the i sue isnt serious and that hes expected to need only a few weeks of rest before he returns to action. Thats surely a relief for fans in Baltimore, as Holliday figures to join fellow youngsters like , , and as a key part of the core for the Orioles going forward once he establishes himself at the big league level. The 20-year-old infielder got his first taste of big league action earlier this year but struggled badly with a with just two hits in 36 trips to the plate acro s ten games. That tough stretch led the Orioles to send Holliday back to the minors, and hes continued to hit well at the Triple-A level since his return with a .252/.418/.429 slash line in 189 trips to the plate. That being said, Holliday has struggled (at least by his own lofty standards) in the month of June so far, hitting just .212 with a 26.7% strikeout rate and a .394 slugging percentage, although his proclivity for drawing walks has allowed him to remain productive over all. Between the youngsters relative struggles and his apparent elbow i sue, its hardly a surprise that the Orioles have decided to play it safe with their prized prospect. Fortunately for fans in Baltimore, the Orioles lineup has played incredibly well to this point in the season and is hardly in need of reinforcements. The clubs 116 wRC+ is the third best figure in baseball this year, and has posted a decent .236/.281/.441 (103 wRC+) slash line while getting the lions share of playing time at Hollidays likely long term position of second base. In other news around the Orioles, southpaw recently in just over two years after making four starts for Baltimore late in the 2023 campaign and another four starts this year. Despite the surely frustrating physical setbacks, however, Means recently told reporters (including ) that he fully intends to return to pitching after he completes his post Artem Guryev Jersey -surgery rehab, which will sideline him for the entire 2024 season and much of 2025. I still want to pitch, honestly, Means said (per Dubroff). Id like to fail on the field before I give it up. I feel like if I go there, I can still pitch and get outs. I still feel really confident about my ability. I have to have my elbow keep up. For all of Meanss struggles in terms of staying on the field, hes certainly been effective when healthy. The southpaw has a career 3.68 ERA with a 4.56 FIP acro s his 401 innings of work in the majors, and although hes managed just ten starts since the beginning of the 2022 campaign hes been nothing short of excellent in them with a 2.75 ERA and 3.99 FIP in 52 1/3 innings of work. Given those strong results, its not hard to imagine Means, 31, returning to action as an effective and valuable starter once hes finally healthy. Its unclear whether or not that return will come in an Orioles uniform, however, as the lefty is set to become a free agent after the 2024 campaign. With Means and both sidelined by UCL surgery and ace righty dealing with of his own, the Baltimore rotation is in a bit of a tough spot. While and Rodriguez combine to form a strong top of the rotation, the club has been left to rely on , , and to round out the group due to a number of injuries. Fortunately, help could be on the way soon for the club as notes that right-hander is expected to begin a rehab a signment with a 40-ish pitch outing tomorrow. MLB.com goes on to note that it remains up in the air whether or not Kremer will need another rehab start before returning to the Orioles, meaning the 28-year-old could potentially return to action for the club as soon as sometime late next week. The return of Kremer, who has been on the injured list for a little le s than a month due to a triceps strain, would provide reliable innings for the Orioles pitching staff. Since the start of the 2022 season, Kremer has pitched to a solid 3.83 ERA (103 ERA+) with a 4.30 FIP in 348 innings of work for Baltimore. Brian Hayward Jersey