The Orioles are only asking so much from their starting pitchers, and the reasonable requests have yielded excellent results.
The vibes around the Orioles’ rotation have ebbed and flowed in 2024. Baltimore generated plenty of excitement when it acquired Corbin Burnes, but the elation faded when Kyle Bradish and John Means missed the start of the season. Cole Irvin stepped up right away, but Tyler Wells quickly went down for the year.
Means and Bradish both returned, but Means failed to stay healthy. Albert Suárez emerged as the ultimate swingman, but Dean Kremer suffered a right tricep injury.
The conversation has lived somewhere between “the Orioles can’t have nice things” and “man, the Orioles sure have a lot of nice things.” Baltimore entered the year with plenty of pitching depth, and that depth has been put to the test.
Despite the laundry list of injuries, the Orioles keep winning. Corbin Burnes has lived up to the “ace” label. Grayson Rodriguez and Kyle Bradish both look the part of front-end starters, while Irvin and Suárez have been a revelation. Kremer should return this month, and the Orioles have a pair of talented prospects waiting at Triple-A.
Mike Elias added to that depth by inking Julio Teheran to a minor league deal yesterday. It’s unclear whether Baltimore will ever turn to the 33-year-old, but he’s there if/when the club needs him.
The pitchers have been tremendous, but Brandon Hyde and Elias deserve credit for how they’ve handled several difficult situations. They’ve managed to get the most out of each pitcher by only asking what they deem appropriate.
MASN’s Roch Kubatko shared a telling quote from Hyde earlier this week. “I just want them to do what they do,” Hyde said. “Give us the best starts that they can. I don’t want them to try to do anything extra.”
Every manager wants the most out of his guys, but Hyde has resisted the temptation to press, and it’s yielded terrific results. Suárez is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA, but the Orioles have yet to ask for more than 17 outs.
Hyde limited Suárez to four innings and 80 pitches when he rejoined the rotation in May. He went five innings his last time out, and he could finish six frames tonight, but the Orioles won’t suddenly ask for seven or eight.
Hyde didn’t let Bradish chase a no-hitter at the end of May because the Orioles wouldn’t ask for 125 pitches. That’s baseball in 2024, and the Orioles aren’t playing for accolades in May.
The Orioles will still ask for length when it’s on the table. Bradish failed to complete three innings his last time out, and the relievers responded with 6.1 scoreless innings. With the bullpen in need of a break, Irvin and Rodriguez followed with appearances that lasted into the seventh inning. Both starters took the mound knowing the situation, and they delivered.
Burnes takes the ball every fifth day with at least six innings in mind, and he tossed seven strong last night in Toronto. Hyde came to the mound after Burnes allowed a solo homer with two outs in the sixth, but the skipper allowed Burnes to finish the inning after a brief chat.
Burnes tossed seven innings in consecutive starts, but Bradish provided cause for concern his last time out. Baltimore did not immediately announce Bradish as Thursday’s starter on regular rest, and Hyde shared that the team is considering pushing him back a day or two. Bradish received a platelet-rich plasma injection prior to the season, and the O’s will continue to monitor the righty throughout the year.
I’m not here to debate pitcher workloads in the 21st century. Pitchers are getting injured at an alarming rate despite working fewer innings than ever before. The Orioles pushed Means back an entire month, and he still failed to reach Memorial Day.
Baltimore cannot guarantee health with any approach, but the organization clearly has a strategy for the active pitchers. Each player knows what to expect when they take the mound, and they’ve all delivered up to this point.
Hyde has balanced rotation injuries with a bullpen lacking players with minor-league options. The Orioles brought Nick Vespi back this week, but Keegan Akin and Dillon Tate represent the only other pitchers capable of freeing up some space. With only one day off in the month of June, Hyde faces the difficult task of keeping the starters healthy without wearing out the bullpen.
Suárez will likely serve as a true long man once Kremer returns to the rotation. Cade Povich could debut in either role this month, and Chayce McDermott remains an option this year. Hyde will lean on Burnes every fifth day, but look for the Orioles to keep their starters fresh over a brutal summer stretch.