John Means, who was set to start Sunday’s first exhibition game in Philadelphia, has been scratched with what Orioles manager Brandon Hyde called “a little bit of a dead arm, a little bit of fatigue.”
Means could still start the Orioles’ opener against Boston in Fenway Park on Friday night, Hyde said.
“We just want to hold him off, just to be sure,” Hyde said in a Saturday video conference call. “That two-month season is the most important thing so we want to be overly cautious with him.”
Hyde says that it’s too early for him to make a decision on deferring Means’ start in Boston.
“The last few days, he just had a little fatigue in his arm,” Hyde said. “We just wanted to hold him. We’re just monitoring day-to-day, and we decided today to have him skip tomorrow and give him a little more rest.”
Hyde said that Means had arm fatigue around midseason last year, when he finished with a 12-11 record and 3.60 ERA.
“We care so much about him that I just want to make sure that we’re taking care of him,” Hyde said. “That we’re doing the right thing for him and that he is with us for two months, such an important part of the rotation.”
Thomas Eshelman will start the game against the Phillies, which will begin at 6:05 p.m. There will be no television or radio coverage.
MASN will televise the Orioles games against the Washington Nationals on Monday and Tuesday. Both will begin at 6:05 p.m.
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Of course...go O’s...
The Phillies game won’t be carried live, but will be rebroadcast Monday morning at 10 am on the MLB network If you have the MLB app you can listen to the game live with the Phillies broadcasters.
Ummmmmmmm.....this ain't good.
Arm fatigue? Does elbow pain go along with fatigue?
We rarely get the truth, or at least the entire truth when a team reports on a pitchers arm's condition or scratch from a game.
This ain't good.
Haven’t heard anything regarding Cobb, why wouldn’t he pitch against Philadelphia?...go O’s...
Cobb is pitching Monday. That puts him in line to pitch Saturday in Fenway. They could have bumped him up, but it’s only an exhibition game. Unless there is something seriously wrong with Means he should be okay for Friday. With the expanded rosters, starters are probably only going to go 3-4 innings for the first few starts.
If he threw against Philadelphia wouldn’t he be on schedule for opening day, if Means can’t go?...go O’s...
I might be wrong, but I don’t think it’s good to have your top pitcher come down with “a little bit of arm fatigue” with the opener just one week away, especially when starting pitching is our weakest link in a short season. Anyone else getting a little queasy over this announcement?
Unfortunately, I think everyone...go O’s...
TxBirdFan - You're not wrong and you're not alone on this subject. Our thin starting pitching has been are weakest link for quite a long time. Even during the Showalter years, it was our bullpen, defense and home run bashers that carried the Orioles through the successful years. I mean, they weren't bad but they were all pretty much 3 starters. Anyway, here's hoping Kohl Stewart can turn the corner. I like his stuff. Throws 95 heater plus pretty good off speed stuff. Maybe the lightbulb goes off for him.
ClayDal, thanks for the update!!! Got it set. Btw, an fyi, I ordered the MLB package for the 60 game season and it's only $31.99.
Of course he’s got a “tired arm”. I mean, he’s thrown SO many innings already. I know I sound like an old fogie, but you’ve gotta be kidding me!! I’m old enough to remember Palmer AVERAGING 22 CG’s AND 319 innings from 1975-1977, Wilbur Wood starting a remarkable 49 games in 1972 and pitching 376 innings then in 1973 he started 48 games and pitched 359 innings. I’m sorry but I just don’t wanna hear about a “tired arm”.
Play/pitch the youngens, if Elias doesn’t think they’re ready, take the thinking out of it, let’s see it...everyone says they’re supposed to lose anyway, who cares who does the losing...BUT maybe they’ll embrace their opportunities & surprise people...go O’s...
MLB news says Means is the most indispensable O, not a good way to start w/ your most “indispensable” player out...yikes...go O’s...
Already a bad sign. Thomas Eshelman isnt he the guy who a little leaguer throws a better fastball .
By pitching Eshelman, the O’s made a mockery of the game, he was horrible 4 months ago & not much better now...bring on the youngens...go O’s...
I wouldn’t worry too much about Eshelman. He isn’t on the roster and there is only 1 opening left. Most likely, the Orioles are saving that for a waiver claim. They are not going to remove someone from the roster to make room for him. Eshelman is insurance in case a pitcher goes down with a long term injury and you need a temporary fill in. He can easily be removed from the active roster and pass through waivers. If he gets claimed, no big deal. Oddly enough, Eshelman’s value is he is disposable
I hope they waive Mason Williams and a club like Tampa picks him up. Playing Wilkerson or Smith in the outfield is a disgrace . Steward has also shown me nothing
Mason Williams can’t be waived. He isn’t on the roster. They would have to put him on the roster first and if they took him off, he could be waived. As it is now, he is under contract with the Orioles and they can activate him at their pleasure. If the Orioles have no plans for him, he can ask for his release and become a free agent. But I think the Orioles still want him around-just not right this minute
Well I’m happy he’s getting a paycheck but if I were him I would ask to be released
Let’s remember Mason Williams was a free agent last winter. He re-signed a minor league contract with the Baltimore Orioles. If he had had a better offer, I’m sure he would have taken it. Not like there was much interest in him
Starting Wilkerson in RF tonight . The laughing stock team of baseball continues