Another injury strikes Baltimore, although this injury designation isn’t a typical one for a pitcher.
The Orioles announced Wednesday that left-hander Trevor Rogers is headed to the 15-day injured list with an illness, although the club didn’t specify what that illness may be. With Wednesday night’s game rained out, clarity may not arrive until Thursday morning, ahead of Baltimore’s single-admission doubleheader against the Houston Astros.
The Orioles recalled right-hander Cameron Foster to fill Rogers’ roster spot. Additionally, right-hander Albert Suárez, whom the Orioles designated for assignment this week, cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. But a source with direct knowledge of Suárez and the club’s plans said the two sides expect to strike a new minor league deal.
Teams sometimes agree to a new minor league contract rather than having a player accept an outright assignment because it bypasses certain roster stipulations. If a pitcher is outrighted, he can’t be recalled for 15 days. A new minor league agreement is a work-around, potentially allowing Suárez to return sooner.
The Orioles just did that with catcher Sam Huff. He chose free agency but returned to the organization on a new minor league deal, per the official major league transaction log.
Suárez could be in the mix to replace Rogers in the short term. So, too, is left-hander Cade Povich. Baltimore needs a starting pitcher for Friday’s game in New York against the Yankees, and the earliest Rogers can return is May 11.
Rogers has struggled of late. His past three starts have all parted from his high-caliber performances of the better part of the last year. And last week Rogers suffered the shortest start of his Orioles career.
He pitched 1 2/3 innings and allowed three runs. His second-inning pitch count reached 47, which prompted manager Craig Albernaz to pull him to avoid an injury. Across his last three starts, Rogers has allowed 12 earned runs in 11 1/3 innings.
“It’s just frustrating on my end that I can’t really go deep into games right now and give my team a chance,” Rogers said after his most recent appearance. “But I just got to stay within my process, stay disciplined in what I need to do, and it’ll turn around.”
The Orioles have a lengthy injured list, and it includes multiple starting pitchers. Right-hander Zach Eflin underwent season-ending elbow surgery, and right-hander Dean Kremer is out several weeks with a quadriceps strain.
In all, 15 players have been on or remain on the injured list.







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