The Orioles have lost two of their starters for the rest of the 2024 season, due to elbow injuries that require surgery. John Means and Tyler Wells, two key pitchers for the Orioles, will not pitch again until at least 2025, announced Orioles GM Mike Elias.
Tyler Wells and John Means will miss the rest of the season, Orioles GM Mike Elias said, as they undergo elbow surgeries
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) May 31, 2024
This news could not have come at a worse time for the Orioles. Fellow starter Dean Kremer is currently on the IL with a triceps issue. Also, the Orioles are preparing for a brutal June schedule that features series against three division leaders and the reigning champions. Overall, losing John Means and Tyler Wells is near disastrous for the Orioles, who will need to now look around the league for available pitchers.
Orioles Lose John Means and Tyler Wells for the Season
An Injury-Plagued All-Star
John Means, the Orioles 2019 All-Star representative, had a fantastic start to his career in Baltimore. He had a sub-3.70 ERA in both 2019 and 2021. Means was one of the lone bright spots on the team during these seasons, as he continuously dazzled on the mound. Also, in 2021, Means threw the 10th no-hitter in Orioles history. However, over the past three years, Means has dealt with a variety of injuries, including Tommy John surgery in early 2022. Then, after a setback, he did not make his return until late in the 2023 season. Despite coming back healthy, Means got hurt again, and missed the 2023 playoffs, and then the first month of the 2024 season. Now, after just four starts, he is done for the season again. This sucks for a player who showed so much promise, and even this season had a minute 2.61 ERA.
Means, an unrestricted free agent after the season, will have to prove to teams he can stay healthy if he wants to sign another MLB contract.
An Unfortunate Turn for a Once-Rising Star
Tyler Wells, who debuted for the Orioles in 2021, began his career as a reliever. He did not start a game during his rookie season and collected four saves. However, over the next two seasons, Wells started a combined 48 games for the Orioles and was very effective. During his impressive 2023 season, Wells had a 3.64 ERA, and collected seven wins for the Orioles, along with a late-season save after Félix Bautista got hurt. Then, after a rough start to the 2024 season, Wells got hurt and will not return this year. This is unfortunate for Wells because he still has a lot of untapped potential. But, Wells still has multiple arbitration years left on his contract. So, he can still return for the Orioles and become an elite pitcher.
Where the Orioles Go From Here
Overall, the Orioles need to do a few things. First, they must hope guys like Cole Irvin and Albert Suárez can continue their surprisingly fantastic seasons. Also, they need to become active on the trade market and shop around for an available starter. Finally, the Orioles should look at calling up a top pitching prospect. That could be either Cade Povich or Chayce McDermott, both of whom are excelling in Triple-A. However, these possible solutions do not take away from how big of a loss John Means and Tyler Wells will be to the team. The Orioles will miss them greatly during the rest of the 2024 season.
Photo Credit: © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
