Baltimore Orioles left-hander John Means has an elbow strain and was placed on the 10-day injured Friday, two days after he left a start early due to pain in his pitching arm.
The Orioles announced that Means’ injury is to his elbow after manager Brandon Hyde previously said the injury was a forearm muscle strain. Means will undergo further testing.
Means, who turns 29 on April 24, said he felt forearm pain during his Opening Day start against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 8. He dealt with more discomfort in Wednesday’s 4-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and departed after four innings and just 51 pitches. He gave up two runs and two hits.
“Never felt the forearm before,” Means said after Wednesday’s outing. “It’s always been little things in the shoulder. I’ve never felt it, and that’s what worried me a little bit.”
The move is retroactive to Thursday.
Means has a 3.38 ERA in eight innings this season. He has allowed three runs, eight hits, two walks and struck out seven.
Overall, Means is 20-24 with a 3.81 ERA in 70 career appearances (65 starts) over four-plus seasons with the Orioles. The highlight of his career came on May 5 of last season when he threw a no-hitter and struck out a career-best 12 against the Seattle Mariners.
Baltimore also recalled right-hander Travis Lakins from Triple-A Norfolk and outrighted left-hander Kevin Smith to the same affiliate.
Lakins, 27, went 4-7 with a 4.21 ERA in 62 appearances (four starts) over the past three seasons — 2019 with the Boston Red Sox followed by two campaigns with the Orioles.
Smith didn’t get into a game with the Orioles.
–Field Level Media