Orioles Pitching Depth Takes Hit with John Means and Dean Kremer Injuries

Getty Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer

The Baltimore Orioles’ pitching depth has gone from a strength to a concern. In the span of two days on May 23 and 24, the second-place O’s lost starters John Means and Dean Kremer to injury, temporarily ending the team’s plans for a six-man rotation.

The Orioles placed Means on the injured list on Thursday with a left forearm strain, but did not offer a timeline on when they expect him back. The next day, the team announced that Means is going to get a second opinion on the injury, but manager Brandon Hyde did not specify if the injury would require surgery.

Means underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and missed most of last season with the same injury but was off to a strong start in 2024. Through four starts, he is 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA. He also compiled 16 strikeouts to just 2 walks and has a WHIP of 0.871.

Kremer has struggled through 9 starts but has nevertheless been an important depth piece for a rotation that is in the midst of 42 games in 44 days.

The Orioles’ Luck Ran Out

Except for Means’ ongoing woes, the Orioles had been fortunate the last couple years in terms of their starting pitchers’ health. A sudden lack of depth merely puts them on par with most teams in the Majors, which Hyde pointed out, per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

“This isn’t uncommon right now everywhere,” Hyde said. “You’ve got to be able to make adjustments and you deal with some adversity, and pitching hiccups are going to happen and injuries are going to happen. That’s why hopefully you create as much depth as you possibly can on your 40-man roster or Triple-A, and we’ve had to tap into it so far this year and I’m sure we’ll have to continue to tap into it. More things are going to happen.”

That leaves Baltimore with Corbin Burnes, Kyle Bradish, and Grayson Rodriguez as starters already in the rotation. Those three have all posted good numbers, though Rodriguez and Bradish both started their seasons on the IL.

Cole Irvin and Albert Suarez seem to be the in-house options to replace Means and Kremer. After two rocky starts to begin the season, Irvin stabilized, pitching to a 1.15 ERA before his bump to the bullpen. Suarez has given up 5 runs all year, with 4 of them coming in an April 28 start against Oakland.

Dillon Tate and Nick Vespi Recalled

The Orioles recalled righty Dillon Tate and lefty Nick Vespi to bolster their bullpen, which could signal that Irvin and Suarez will are, indeed, the Orioles’ preferred solutions.

Tate has appeared in 11 games for the O’s this season, and while he has a 2.84 ERA, he also has as many walks as strikeouts (6) and a 4.87 FIP in a small sample size. Vespi made his season debut on May 22, throwing a scoreless inning against the Cardinals.

Suarez will start for the Orioles on May 25 against the White Sox, but Baltimore has not announced a starter past Sunday.

Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reported on May 23 that Irvin would also rejoin the rotation, and he is the logical option for a Memorial Day start against the Red Sox.

Jonathan Heasley will likely slide into a bullpen role with the Orioles, who lose a long reliever with Irvin going back into the rotation.

Heasley has been excellent for Triple-A Norfolk this season: 7 games (1 start), 20 IP, 0.45 ERA, 0.70 WHIP, 18 strikeouts, 4 walks

“Pick the guys up. It’s as simple as that,” Irvin said, according to Kubatko. “We’re still doing a good job. Just fill in and keep doing what we’ve been doing all season. The formula doesn’t change.”