Philadelphia – As Orioles' efforts make Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells' rehabilitation mission healthier, they wait indefinitely for veteran right-hander Zach Eflin.
Eflin returned to the list of 15-day injuries due to lower back discomfort Thursday. He received an epidural shot, and the Oriole didn't know how much time he would miss.
“There is no plan right now,” interim manager Tony Masolino said. “Still let the shot finish the job and see how he came out of it.
Eflin is expected to be a trade chip for the deadline, but the injury may calm the market.
This was Eflin's third trip to Illinois, his second back pain. He was eliminated in April for a mild latitude strain.
Eflin won 14 starts in 71 1/3 innings and released 5.93 ERA and 1.416 WHIP in 71 1/3 innings.
Wells will start on Friday's next round tonight from Triple-A Norfolk and Bradish.
Outfielder Heston Kjerstad has never played with Norfolk since July 25. Four days later, due to fatigue, he was on the list of injured.
The Oriole hopes to give him a chance to rest and intends to revisit the plan within a week or so. He seems to have no reward.
Asked earlier today about the update, Mansorino said: “I'm not ready to share, but I'll discuss it, and we'll figure out what we want to share with you. But nothing.”
Kjerstad hit .192 in 54 games against the Orioles and .149 in 27 games with .473 OPS against the Tides. His health history includes the round of myocarditis after the Orioles made him the second pick in the 2020 draft, and the concussion suffered after being hit by the helmet by Clay Holmes Stadium on July 12, 2024.
The 2025 season should provide Kjerstad with the opportunity to catch the ball every day and build in the profession, but he struggles with the plate and the right field. The Orioles chose him on June 10.
Rescuer Colin Selby was on the 15-day injury list on July 29 with a second-grade stress on the left hamstring. He may have been ready for a month.
“It's a very serious hamstring injury, so it takes some time,” Mansorino said.
Félix Baustista Closer will be making a follow-up date on his right shoulder, but that's how much he's updated.
“It will be coming next week,” Mansorino said.
After the swelling subsides, Bautista is expected to receive another MRI.
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle will recover from the injured roster as the team returns home for the weekend's game against track and field. He has not played for the Orioles since May 30 due to the Level 2 hamstring strain.
Mansolino sounds confident that he can continue to provide baseball for Coby Mayo after Mountcastle returns to the roster.
“We're going to try to spread wealth probably the best way to do it,” he said. “We can see that Coby needs to play a lot of competitions. So we need Coby to play, we need Coby to be the Coby we all dream about, right? We can't expect Coby to be a huge influence in 2025. To take him out.”
Relief Rico Garcia may not join the Orioles by Friday. They had a match on Wednesday one day.
Infielder/outfielder Terrin Vavra completely cleared the immunity and accepted his mission to Norfolk.