BALTIMORE—The Orioles don’t want injuries to define their season as they did in 2025. However, it seems as if every time a player leaves the injured list for the active roster, another player pops up on the injured list.
The Orioles have 11 players on the injured list. According to Spotrac, they’ve had 15 players on the IL this season, second to Houston
Left-handed starter Trevor Rogers is the most recent IL placement. Rogers was set to start Friday night at Yankee Stadium, but he came down with the flu and was placed on the 15-day injured list.
The move was retroactive to Sunday, and Rogers, who’s eligible to return on May 11th, should miss only two starts.
Rogers wasn’t at the ballpark on Thursday when the Orioles split a doubleheader with the Houston Astros, but if his flu subsides in a few days, perhaps he can make a rehab start for Triple-A Norfolk before his return.
Right-hander Dean Kremer is eligible to return on May 5th, but there’s no indication he’ll be ready by then. Kremer is out with a strained right quadriceps muscle.
“It’s not the end of the world in terms of an injury,” president of baseball operations Mike Elias said a week ago about Kremer. “It’s going to take some time. Our plan is to keep his arm in as good a shape as possible because it’s not bothering him too much to throw right now, but we’ve got to let that thing heal and get his lower body condition back. I don’t have a timeline yet, but it will be several weeks to say the least.”
Kremer was sent to Norfolk to start the season when Zach Eflin, who was returning from back surgery, was chosen as the fifth starter. Eflin tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in his first start, has had Tommy John surgery, and is out for the year.
Left-hander Dietrich Enns has been on the injured list since April 4th with left foot infection. Enns has a 5.68 ERA in five rehab appearances and could rejoin the active roster soon.
Second baseman Jackson Holliday should start his third rehab assignment next week. Holliday, who had surgery to remove the hamate bone from his right wrist, was expected back by now.
However, the Orioles ended his first rehab assignment at Norfolk when soreness in his right wrist persisted. After several days of rest, Holliday went to High-A Frederick for two games, where he went 2-for-8.
In his first at-bat for Norfolk, Holliday grimaced as he struck out. The pain was so strong that he thought he had broken the hand again.
He returned to Baltimore last week for a series of tests. The tests showed no further damage, and Holliday has rested since.
In 14 rehab games, Holliday has batted .176 with four RBIs.
Holliday could have an additional 20-day rehab assignment, but the Orioles would love to have him back sooner than that.
As May begins, perhaps there’ll be further word on third baseman Jordan Westburg, who’s out with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Westburg, who did not play in Grapefruit League games, is on the 60-day injured list and is eligible to return on May 24th. The Orioles are hoping he won’t need season-ending surgery.
“He’s in Florida. He’s been hitting and throwing,” Elias said. “That’s moving along. We don’t have major updates on that, but it’s kind of no new is good news for now. Not at the point of announcing a rehab assignment, but the train kind of continues to move in the expected direction. So far, so good.”
Outfielder/designated hitter Heston Kjerstad strained his right hamstring late in spring training and hasn’t played since.
“Kjerstad’s doing well,” Elias said last week “Full baseball activities, hitting, throwing. He’s in Florida, not ready to announce rehab assignment dates with him. I feel like it’s around the corner.”
First baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle, relievers Félix Bautista, Yaramil Hiraldo, Colin Selby and starter Zach Eflin are all on the 60-day injured list.
Eflin, who had Tommy John surgery on April 8th, is wearing a brace on his right elbow. He’s regularly been around the clubhouse since surgery.
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