The Baltimore Orioles’ pitching staff is facing a crisis of availability early in the 2026 MLB season, with no real remedy. Seven pitchers, including right-handed starter Zach Eflin and reliever Andrew Kittredge, are currently on the team’s injured list as of April 20. Eflin, relievers Yaramil Hiraldo, Félix Bautista, and Colin Selby are on the 60-day injured list. Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery, while Bautista underwent surgery for his torn labrum and rotator cuff.
The team’s rotation has also been underwhelming, with no players holding an ERA under four. Baltimore’s WHIP is also teetering on the average line at 1.329 with 23 home runs surrendered. So far, the Orioles are not reaching high expectations in a competitive American League East. It wouldn’t be too bad if not for the fact that the team’s top pitching prospects are also struggling. Now, the team has to ask itself: Where do they go from here? Can they save their season?
Where Can the Orioles’ Pitching Staff Go From Here?
Baltimore’s Starting Rotation Dilemma
Aside from injuries and tapping into their Triple-A roster, the team’s overall performance hasn’t been good at all. That goes for their rotation, which they invested heavily in during the offseason.
Trevor Rogers, Baltimore’s best pitcher in 2025, started the season with seven innings of three-hit ball against the Minnesota Twins. Over his last two games between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cleveland Guardians, he’s surrendered nine runs in 9 2/3 innings, along with three home runs and 15 hits.
With the exception of Trevor Rogers, the Orioles’ starting rotation has struggled in the team’s first seven games. https://t.co/Z3xKTmgc6O
— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) April 4, 2026
Shane Baz, whom the Orioles acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, has also been slow out of the gate with a 4.91 ERA and eight walks over his first four starts. Kyle Bradish, who the team eagerly awaited to come back from injury, is also struggling to a 5.49 ERA while leaving runners on base. Chris Bassitt, billed as the workhorse of the team, has only seven strikeouts in 16 innings.
Prospects Nestor German, Trey Gibson, and Levi Wells are all struggling at the Triple-A level with ERAs over four as well. They are simply not ready to make starts if they have to at the major-league level.
The Bullpen’s Saving Grace
The one thing saving Baltimore from complete oblivion is its bullpen, which the team recently shuffled in the wake of all the injuries. A lot of younger players, and the O’s acquisitions, are stepping up even as guys drop like flies. Their relief corps has held its own even without Hiraldo or Brandon Young. Ryan Helsley, whom the Orioles signed this offseason as their answer to the lack of Bautista, has notched six saves with 12 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. While he has walked five, it’s turning into a good investment.
Oh look at me I’m Ryan Helsley I throw the ball 101 MPH with a wipeout slider and I learned a splitter that devastates lefties yeah yeah we get it. pic.twitter.com/EfYCjDba8N
— Past The Eye Test (@PastTheEyeTest) April 18, 2026
Meanwhile, rookie Anthony Nunez has impressed with a 1.93 ERA, and returning veteran Rico Garcia hasn’t surrendered a single run in 10 innings to start the year. Yennier Cano is also making his case early on, racking up nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings with only one walk.
It appears the team’s issues lie within their rotation again, rather than both areas of pitching. The same thing happened last year when Wells, Bradish, and Eflin all went down with injuries, and the cycle is happening again. The good news is that it’s early in the season, and the Orioles have some options here.
A Few Remedies for a Team in Trouble
The most obvious choice of the group would be to recall Young from Triple-A. In three starts, he has a 1.08 ERA over 16 2/3 innings and 19 strikeouts. He’s only walked three batters and surrendered six hits, demonstrating an improving arsenal the Orioles desperately need.
Young dropped his cutter usage to near zero while showcasing a highly effective slider that has a .049 average against and a 54% whiff rate. That’s also in tandem with a .187 average-holding splitter and a four-seamer that teams only hit for singles. Overall, his barrel, hard hit, and chase percentage are in the 80th percentile or better.
#Orioles right-hander Brandon Young tossed 5 2/3 hitless innings and struck out 10 for @NorfolkTides!
?: https://t.co/TLUttzKGVV pic.twitter.com/ness7TYPT3
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 20, 2026
Another option to help the Orioles’ pitching staff, though outlandish, would be to trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Los Angeles just lost their closer, Edwin Díaz, for three months to remove loose bone bodies in his elbow. Plus, with a stacked rotation including Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, prospects like River Ryan and Jackson Ferris might not have a chance.
The Orioles’ farm system is weaker now than it was a few years ago, but some faces, including Ike Irish and Wehiwa Aloy, might garner some names. Sure, the asking price might be high, but it would be worth it if Baltimore wants to try and fix their season quickly.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
