Former All-Star's return could fuel Baltimore's pennant push
The Baltimore Orioles sit three games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East and the AL's best record at 91-53. On Tuesday, they got a big boost that could help them hold off the Rays.
For the first time since April 13, 2022, Orioles starter John Means took the mound.
Means, a 2019 All-Star, underwent Tommy John surgery last spring. In his first start on Tuesday, the lefty threw 75 pitches, striking out one while allowing three earned runs over five innings in the Orioles' 5-2 loss to the Cardinals. He gave up two home runs, including a first-inning bomb to 2022 NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt.
In his last full season of baseball in 2021, Means threw 146.1 innings, striking out 134, while posting a 3.62 ERA and 3.9 WAR. The southpaw also threw a no-hitter against Seattle in May 2021.
The lefty was the Orioles ace when last healthy but will join a deep Orioles rotation featuring Kyle Gibson, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer, Jack Flaherty and Grayson Rodriguez.
Baltimore's social media team was happy to see the left-hander back on the mound. They changed their Twitter profile from the Orioles logo to a picture of Means.
It's uncertain if Means would be a part of the Orioles playoff rotation. If Baltimore decides he is not physically ready for a starting role, he would be a big-time weapon for manager Brandon Hyde to deploy out of the bullpen.
Despite making his first start in 17 months, Means was hard on himself after the game. "I don't really believe in moral victories, to be honest with you," he told reporters. "I wanted to get the win today but just didn't quite pitch well enough."
That is the exact mindset the Orioles want as the postseason swiftly approaches and they compete for their first AL pennant since 1983.
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