Baltimore Orioles Rotation Option Has Rough Spring Training Opener

A Baltimore Orioles veteran who is looking to earn a spot in the Opening Day rotation had a rough start to Grapefruit League.

Sep 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Albert Suarez (49) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Target Field. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles’ games during spring training in Grapefruit League may not count for much as exhibitions, but there are some players who have a lot to gain or lose depending on how they perform.

One of the players who will be under some pressure to play at a high level is veteran Albert Suarez.

He was a pleasant surprise for the franchise in 2024, making his return to the Major Leagues for the first time since 2017 when he was a member of the San Francisco Giants.

Suarez was a reliable option for Brandon Hyde, whether it was as a starter or relief pitcher, as he made 32 appearances, 24 of them which were starts.

He threw 133.2 innings in total, registering a solid 3.70 ERA with 108 strikeouts.

However, coming into camp this year, he is far from guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation once Opening Day rolls around.

Many predictions have Suarez on the outside looking in, likely to be used as a long relief and swingman out of the bullpen. Right now, Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin, Charlie Morgon, Tomoyuki Sugano and Dean Kremer are expected to be the five starters.

The 35-year-old is hoping to make enough of an impression in spring training to earn one of those spots, but he did not get off to a great start in that regard.

In the Orioles’ first game of the spring, Suarez was tabbed as the starter against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

They jumped on him early, as DJ Stewart hit a double to knock in two runs and get the Baltimore bullpen stirring early in the contest.

O's reliever Yaqui Rivera was up in the first inning, a terrible sign for a starting pitcher even in exhibition games with shortened appearances. He would eventually relieve Suarez in the second inning, as he failed to get through two full innings.

Control was an issue, as the veteran retired the first two batters of the game. But then he allowed a double, threw a wild pitch, issued a walk and allowed the big hit to Stewart.

Darick Hall worked the count full during his at-bat before grounding out to second baseman Jackson Holliday to end the inning.

In all, Suarez threw 26 pitches in the first frame, only 13 of which were strikes.

“I was just throwing all my pitches, doing the best I can to make sure I’m ready for the season,” Suárez said via Roch Kubatko of Masn. “Today was trying to throw every pitch in the strike zone and then have the feel for it.”

The second inning was nearly a mirror image of the first.

Suarez got the first two batters out before running into trouble and allowed two base runners. Hyde removed him from the game before a complete repeat could occur with another two-run double being hit.

Spring training is a time for pitchers to work on some things, as the veteran is working a new pitch into his arsenal; a slurve. But there is work still to be done, as he couldn’t get batters to bite.

“It feels good out of hand, but I think it was also a ball automatic for the hitter,” he said. “So that’s why they weren’t swinging.”

Saturday certainly wasn’t Suarez’s best outing, but he will have more opportunities to prove himself in the coming weeks in the lead-up to the 2025 regular season.

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