John Means, the former Orioles All-Star who energized Baltimore fans during the rebuild, has suffered yet another major injury.
Means, who is a free agent, posted on Instagram on Thursday that he tore his Achilles tendon while training. The injury, he wrote, occurred the same day he was set to sign a contract with a team.
“This is hard to put into words, but I’ll try,” Means wrote. “On Tuesday, while training, I ruptured my Achilles. It happened the same day I was supposed to sign with a team and be available on Opening Day for the first time in a long time. Yesterday, I underwent successful surgery with Dr. Vopat and his incredible team. I was finally enjoying my first healthy offseason in four years and felt better than ever.”
Means, 32, was drafted by the Orioles in 2014 and debuted in 2018. He was an All-Star in 2019 and went 12-11 with a 3.60 ERA that season. Means was Baltimore’s No. 1 starter the next two seasons, and fans nicknamed each of his starts as “John Means Day” — the best chance the Orioles had to win during the rebuild. In May 2021, Means tossed the Orioles’ first solo no-hitter since 1969.
But his injury woes began in 2022 when he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in April, requiring Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. He missed the rest of the 2022 campaign and most of 2023, but he returned in September as the Orioles surged toward an American League East title. In four starts for the 2023 Orioles, Means posted a 2.66 ERA and was a candidate to be in the club’s playoff rotation.
But his elbow flared up, ending his season and delaying his start to 2024. He returned in May and was just as good — pitching to a 2.61 ERA in four games — but he once again tore his UCL and underwent a second Tommy John surgery, missing the remainder of the season.
Last offseason, Means signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Cleveland Guardians with a club option for 2026. He spent all of 2025 rehabilitating, and the Guardians declined his $6 million option in November.
It’s unclear what team Means was set to sign with before his injury. A ruptured Achilles will likely keep Means out for all of 2026.
“I don’t know why this happened or how this chapter will ultimately be used,” Means wrote, “but I know it’s now part of my story and God has a plan.”
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