8:49pm: Manager Brandon Hyde said after tonight’s win that the IL placement for Wells is precautionary (X link via Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun). The club is hopeful he’ll only be out of action for a couple weeks.
6:10pm: The Orioles announced that they have placed right-hander Tyler Wells on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation, retroactive to April 13. They selected the contract of catcher David Bañuelos to take his place on the active roster. To open a 40-man spot for Banuelos, they designated Liván Soto for assignment.
There is some evidence to suggest that this injury cropped up unexpectedly. Wells started for the O’s on Friday, tossing 90 pitches over four innings, and was scheduled to start tomorrow’s game. The news of this transaction dropped just minutes before tonight’s contest started and reporters such as Jake Rill of MLB.com and Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner point out that Bañuelos was already with the club on the taxi squad as an emergency third catcher.
The O’s already have two catchers on the roster in Adley Rutschman and James McCann. There’s been nothing to suggest that anything is wrong with either of them, so it appears that Bañuelos was added because he was around and there wasn’t enough time to call up another arm from one of Baltimore’s minor league clubs.
Regardless of when it went down, the injury to Wells is notable. Since the move was made so close to game time, the club hasn’t relayed to reporters if they consider the injury severe or expect a lengthy absence, but it’s always at least a bit concerning when a pitcher’s throwing elbow is involved. Wells underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 while in the minor leagues with the Twins. He was later selected by the Orioles in the 2020 Rule 5 draft and has a 4.06 earned run average over 294 2/3 innings for the O’s since then.
The O’s already have Kyle Bradish and John Means on the injured list, so Wells now makes it three starters on the shelf. Both Bradish and Means have started rehab assignments and could be back in a couple of weeks but it’s still going to be a tricky situation for the O’s to navigate for a time.
Corbin Burnes, Cole Irvin, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer currently occupy four spots in the Baltimore rotation but the club will need someone to replace Wells in the meantime. Bruce Zimmermann is already on the 40-man roster and last pitched in the minors on Thursday, so he is perhaps the most logical choice. Prospects like Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott are also in Triple-A but not currently on the 40-man roster.
Bañuelos, 27, will be making his major league debut if he can get into a game. He has spent most of his career in the Twins’ system, spending time in Triple-A in 2021 and 2022. He was kept in Double-A last year but performed well, hitting .270/.369/.526. That led to a minor league deal with the O’s and he played two Triple-A games this year but the last was on April 3 as he has seemingly been travelling with the big league club.
Soto, 24 in June, has been the unfortunate centerpiece of a game of hot potato between the Angels and Orioles in recent months. The O’s claimed him off waivers from the Halos in February but the Angels claimed him back a few weeks later. Last week, the O’s claimed him yet again.
The young infielder has a strong .375/.414/.531 batting line in the majors, though in a tiny sample size of 71 plate appearances. In a larger sample size of 1,505 PAs in the minors since the start of 2021, he’s hit .246/.340/.355 for a wRC+ of 86. But he’s capable of stealing a few bases and has bounced around the diamond, playing the three infield spots to the left of first base and even a brief stint in center field. Since he still has a couple of option years remaining, Soto appears to be attractive as a versatile depth piece. The Orioles will now have one week to trade him or pass him through waivers.
Livan Soto going back to the Angels.
with the long back and forth between the West Coast Angels and the East Coast O’s, reminds me of watching Soto go back and forth across the net in never ending vollies between Chris Everett and Martina Navratilova.
The West Coast Avengers were always my favorite team.
I understand the ownership transition probably had a lot to do with it not happening, but now it’s glaringly obvious Elias should have been allowed to sign Monty.
Very concerned about the rotation now. Hopefully a Povich, McDermott or Bright is ready to step up.
What a difference a year makes. One big constant to their 101 win season last year was having a healthy rotation. From the SP staff that left Sarasota, only Wells was away for a good while and it wasn’t an injury but a fatigue issue. Gulp.
Orioles rotation was shakey last year. They were pretty sporadic down the final stretch where they either pitched really well or got lit up. They relied heavily on offense in starts where their starters were hit or miss.
Heading into the off season Orioles needed 2 TOR arms. They got one in Burnes. Idk why they didn’t pull a trigger on Cease or Monty who didnt come with a QO or go get some cost controlled SP from Mariners. Orioles certainly arent lacking in hitting prospects, but definitely took a chance not reinforcing the rotation.
Idk how much you can expect from Means Bradish and now Wells.
Agreed. Shaky down the stretch indeed but healthy. Plus they got Wells back albeit in an effective RP roll only
Wells belongs in the pen IMO.
We didn’t have much of a choice without Bradish and Means to start the year but I think that’s his true home. Bullpen could use another steady reliever also.
They were shaky heading into the playoffs last season because Means was out yet again. The good news is Bradish pitched well in a rehab start today and Means could be back within a couple weeks. But yeah they should have gotten another starter. Losing Wells doesn’t hurt that bad because he wasn’t pitching well and he wasn’t really expected to start this season.
Poor Orioles!! They steal Corbin Burnes and have prospect after prospect and still whine about needing more pitching.
Try being a Rays fan who has to deal with their love of spin rate and watch them lose half of their rotation every year.
Suck it up and quit crying. The Orioles will make the playoffs and probably win it all. The Rays will miss the postseason, Arozarena will get traded, and the newest can’t-miss pitcher they acquire or draft will be out with Tommy John soon enough.
Hey Karen. Quit being a Karen.
With all those prospects they could have had Burns and Cease. Or with their low payroll they should have gone after Monty. Really no excuse for them to have all this prospect rich offense and super low payroll yet such a questionable rotation and stretched bullpen. Maybe McDermott and Povich are the real deal but they seem like they’re end of season callups.
I don’t quite understand this brand of trolling. He’s sorta complimentary of the Orioles and disparages his own team in an aggressive tone. It’s like reverse-trolling?! Confused. lol
Skinsfan – Elias has expressed confidence that both Means and Bradish will be back. There’s no incentive for him to oversell this, so he obviously had no interest in buying a $25 million insurance policy. If he’s wrong they’ll get what they need at the trade deadline or they’ll give Povich a shot. It’s April 16th….
I want to see Povich get his shot. Dude has been electric. Hopefully he can be a bullpen piece for us later on if we get all the guys back healthy/ grab a guy at the deadline.
I think another starter will be added at the deadline regardless.
I still think the Brewers will ultimately be happy with their return for Burnes.
Joey Ortiz is already producing & once they give up on DL as a starter—I fully expect him to be a lockdown reliever.
Them and the Cardinals will both be happy with their trade returns. Watch out for that professional hitter Preito now plying his trade in St Louis.
Cards got a steal. Prieto comps from three years ago included Pedroia
…also Altuve.
Yikes. Lose Wells and Soto now. That’s now Means, Bradish, and Wells out of the rotation.
In a baffling turn of events, the Orioles have placed right-hander Tyler Wells on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation. Retroactive to April 13, Wells suddenly finds himself sidelined, leaving fans scratching their heads and wondering if the baseball gods have a peculiar sense of humor.
To fill Wells’ spot on the active roster, the Orioles have summoned catcher David Bañuelos. Now, Bañuelos is no ordinary catcher; he’s been chilling on the taxi squad, waiting for his moment in the sun. With two catchers already on the roster and no apparent issues with either of them, Bañuelos’ call-up seems as random as a knuckleball on a windy day.
Adding to the confusion, Liván Soto has been designated for assignment to make room for Bañuelos on the 40-man roster. Soto, a versatile infielder with some intriguing stats, finds himself in a game of baseball hot potato between the Orioles and the Angels.
Meanwhile, Wells’ sudden trip to the injured list raises eyebrows. Was it a case of unexpected inflammation? Was there a secret elbow handshake that went awry? The mystery deepens as the Orioles now navigate a tricky situation with three starters sidelined.
But fear not, Orioles fans, for Bañuelos is here to catch dust and maybe a few fly balls if he gets the chance. As for Wells, may his elbow recover swiftly and may the baseball gods be more forgiving in the future!
Old York…we do not need to read a summary of the article which is longer than the original article itself. I assume you must be retired to have so much time to post such redundant material. I’m not working right now, but even I would hesitate to squander the precious minutes I have left on earth to post such tomfoolery.
@Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Odd that you would criticize me about wasting time as you reply to this so-called tomfoolery.
It’s probably time to look yourself in the mirror. My guess is your upset that the M’s are a garbage team this year.
I meant it in fun Old York. I am sorry it didn’t come across that way. And yes I am a hypocrite regarding the tomfoolery, but NO …I am still optimistic about the Mariners, it’s early, and they seemingly start out cold this way the last few seasons.
@Ignorant Son-of-a-b
Oh, now you meant it in fun? LOL. To suggest someone is wasting their life away really ignores the fact that there is no set goal of how a life should be lived. If you spend your day on a message forum of one of your passions, is that really wasting your time?
Anyway, I did use the Spring Training stats to predict the M’s would be in the WS this year, so they better not let me down.
M’s vs. Pirates or Padres.
Hey I said I was a hypocrite and wasting just as much time here as you. And I admit I don’t have a life, so there you have it. In all likelihood I have made the poorest life choices (or non-choices due to inaction) than anybody on this platform, so I am no expert on how to live a successful life. But anyway, yes I think you made a good bet with the Mariners. Things will turn. If not imminently, than they always do by July or August when they pull off 16 wins in a row haha.
You do realize Banuelos will not be on the roster tomorrow ?
I think that is correct, but they burn an option of his. Not that it matters I guess. Its just weird as they could have done nothing. They are allowed to carry only 25 on the 26 man roster…
Since he’s taxi squad, he was going to use an option this year regardless.
He’s probably going to be the throw-and-catch 3rd catcher in a pinch all season long. So might as well see if he can handle the bat at the majors? Bat control, productive outs, backup for day game after long night game, day game after doubleheader…that sort of thing. Elias is always trying to get some small bit of usefulness in every move. It’s not a huge deal, but it gives them some info.
They brought up the catcher bc he was already there. Why is that so confusing to everyone?
Because they didnt need to put Banuelos on the 40 and designate Soto just to put Wells on the 15 day il.
Already there. It was last minute with Wells and it was play down a man or do what they did. Not that it mattered bc it was a blowout, but it very well could’ve gone extras. Guess bc it’s early in the year that it’s okay to not put the team in the best position to win an April game against the Twins?
He was already in Baltimore on the taxi squad and this a last minute game time move
Sigh another pitcher injury. On the bright side Bradish looked good throwing 44 pitches in his rehab start. 3 IP, 4K, 1H, 0BB, 0R.
Report the Bauer accuser being charged with fraud and extortion NOW!
And remember the other three Bauer accusers remain believable.
Sometimes all you can say is “lol”
That’s easier for some than acknowledging Bauer has a history of getting his dick off on beating women
The other 3 accusers are as believable as my 4 y/o nephew who thinks he’s a dragon.
Sure they are unbelievable.
All women are liars, according to rapists and wife beaters.
They are unbelievable according to the facts of the individual cases.
Multiple women report the same abhorrent behavior but they are all liars. Sounds like you have problems with women
@Ra At least 2 of then have already been proven to be liars. The others are questionable at best.
You are the one who has problems with women if you think they aren’t smart enough to know a bogus accusation when they see one.
I have problems with women because the overwhelming majority of accusations are true. You are obviously a misogynist. It’s clear Bauer gets his dick off by beating women and his behavioral pattern proves.
@Ra I’ll say it again. You are the misogynist if you think women aren’t smart enough to know a bogus accusation when they see one.
You obviously don’t know the meaning of the word, “misogynist” since you keep using it incorrectly. Both men and women can read: Bauer SAYS he likes to beat women in bed.
You are an idiot and a liar. No, you can’t just repeat a lie and think everybody’s going to believe you. I respect women.
And you probably are a spouse beater.
Why not since you know me personally and all that.
Couple of weeks couple of months whats the difference among friends
Likely just for the day. They started both Adley and McCann yesterday so they had him as an emergency catcher. They’ll probably send him back down and call up Zimmerman today.
Well tonight’s appearance in Norfolk from John Means has to be considered a setback in any potential return. I know results don’t matter in rehab starts but lasting 7 batters to give up 5 runs, including 2 homers and getting one out on 39 pitches to AAA hitters does not suggest he’ll be back anytime soon. Pulling for him but maybe he’ll never come all the way back.