Baltimore Orioles face an injury crisis on June 30, 2025, as Zach Eflin hits the IL. Updates on Adley Rutschman & Jordan Westburg as the O's head to Texas.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
Just when you thought the Orioles were soaring after an emotionally charged, series-clinching weekend against the Rays, reality bit back hard on Monday. The high of a 22-run comeback and a dominant Dean Kremer start was quickly tempered by sobering news from the trainer's room. The biggest blow came as starter Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day IL, testing the team's pitching depth at a critical juncture.
You can’t just give in.
The Orioles' starting rotation, a pillar of their success, took a significant hit with the announcement that Zach Eflin is heading to the 15-day injured list with low-back discomfort. Interim manager Tony Mansolino confirmed what many feared, noting Eflin was 'trending toward an IL stint.' This sidelines one of the team's key arms, forcing the front office to shuffle the deck. In a corresponding move, pitcher Brandon Young was recalled from the minors. Young, who has a 7.11 ERA in three starts this season, will be thrown right back into the fire, a testament to the 'next man up' mentality the team must now fully embrace.
Eflin isn't the only Oriole nursing an injury. Star catcher Adley Rutschman continues to progress from his left oblique strain but remains uncertain for a return immediately after the All-Star break. Meanwhile, second baseman Jordan Westburg is battling a nagging left index finger injury. While he's optimistic he can play through it in a day or two, he admitted it's 'unlikely to be 100 percent for a while.' The mounting injuries put a strain on the roster's depth, making every healthy body crucial as the team navigates this tough stretch.
Despite the injury cloud, the Orioles entered Monday's series opener against the Rangers with momentum and were even slight betting favorites (-111). The team is still riding high from their wild series win over the Rays, which featured Dean Kremer's seven shutout innings on Sunday and a historic comeback on Friday. That resilience will be tested in Texas. With Eflin out and Young rejoining the rotation, the offense will need to continue its torrid pace to support a pitching staff facing sudden uncertainty.
The road ahead is bumpy, with key players sidelined and the pitching staff in flux. But if the wild weekend series against the Rays taught us anything, it's that this Orioles team has a deep well of resilience. As they begin their series in Texas, the question isn't whether they'll face adversity, but how they'll rise to meet it. All eyes will be on the mound to see if the replacements can hold the line and keep the Orioles' momentum rolling.
