Orioles place Grayson Rodriguez on injured list, activate John Means

The Orioles on Wednesday placed right-hander Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. That move is retroactive to Tuesday. John Means, who hasn’t pitched this season and was on the injured list with a left forearm strain, has been activated.

Rodriguez is 4-1 with a 3.71 earned-run average in six starts. On Monday, he tied his career high with 101 pitches in 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees. He allowed five hits, walked three and struck out three.

Means, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2022, started four times in September 2023 but soreness in his left elbow caused the Orioles to leave him off the Division Series roster against Texas.

As spring training began on February 14th, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said that Means would be held back during spring training as a precaution, and he’d be about a month behind the team’s other starters.

Wednesday’s move means that Rodriguez and Tyler Wells, the second and third starters to begin the season, are both on the 15-day injured list. Right-handed starter Kyle Bradish, who has been on the injured list because of a sprain of the right ulnar collateral ligament, also is expected to return soon.