MLB Insider’s Key Worry About Baltimore Orioles Rotation

The Baltimore Orioles have one of baseball’s best records but one insider has a serious concern about the rotation.

Jul 26, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (30) throws a first inning pitch against the San Diego Padres at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the best teams in baseball all season, and the starting rotation has been a big reason why.

The O’s have overcome several key injuries to the rotation, with three pitchers on the season-ending injury list due to elbow surgeries — Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and John Means.

But, Baltimore has persisted. Even so, one MLB insider sees a potential breaking point for the rotation when it comes to the postseason.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal talked about pitching rotations during his Fair Territory podcast recently and highlighted four rotations that are “pointing up” and four rotations that are “pointing down” entering the week.

The Orioles, to Rosenthal, has one rotation that is pointing down when it comes to the postseason, joining Minnesota, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

His concern is all about injured starter Grayson Rodriguez.

Baltimore insists that Rodriguez is coming back from his right lat/teres strain. If he does, Rosenthal believes the O’s may have the best trio of starters of any playoff team with Corbin Burnes, Zach Eflin and Rodriguez.

Without him?

“It’s a little bit thin,” Rosenthal said.

The right-hander, a first-round pick in 2018, has had a terrific season with Baltimore. He is 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA with 130 strikeouts and 36 walks in 116.2 innings. He was 5-1 in his last seven starts.

Something to monitor is his workload. He’s already set a career-high in strikeouts in three fewer starts and is closing in on last year’s 122 innings.

Rodriguez has been shut down from throwing after imaging of the injured area and Orioles general manager Mike Elias said this weekend that the starter would undergo more imaging in a few weeks. Baltimore remains optimistic that Rodriguez can return to the Majors at some point before the playoffs.

Burnes, who won a Cy Young while with Milwaukee, has had a Cy Young-worthy season in his first year with Baltimore.

The right-hander is 12-4 with a 2.71 ERA. He has 137 strikeouts and 35 walks in 149.2 innings. He was named the American League’s starter for the All-Star Game.

Eflin joined the Orioles in late July as a deadline deal, with Baltimore giving up pitcher Jackson Baumeister, outfielder Matthew Etzel and outfielder Mac Horvath. The 30-year-old right-hander is under contract for one more year and is 8-7 with a 3.83 ERA this season. With Baltimore he is 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in his three starts.

Baltimore can round out the rotation with Dean Kremer, Trevor Rogers and Albert Suárez. But Rodriguez is a player that could get them over the top in a tough October postseason.