MLB Player News

Means underwent successful Tommy John surgery Monday in Texas to repair a torn UCL in his left elbow, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

Means will need 12-to-18 months to recover from the procedure, and given that he previously had the procedure in April 2022, it's reasonable to expect him to trend toward the longer end of that timetable. The veteran southpaw has now seen three straight seasons come to an early end, as he was previously held out during the Orioles' playoff run last fall when he experienced renewed soreness in the surgically repaired elbow. Even though his elbow checked out fine over the offseason, the Orioles chose to slow play Means to begin the 2024 campaign, but it wasn't long before he experienced another flareup. Means made just four starts for the Orioles prior to landing on the 15-day injured list last Thursday with a forearm strain.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Romano received an anti-inflammatory injection for his right elbow Sunday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Romano will be shut down for 3-to-5 days before planning to resume a throwing program later this week. The reliever received a similar injection for the same injury back in late March and wound up missing about three weeks of action, although it's not clear whether a similar timetable is expected this time around. Yimi Garcia collected a save for the Blue Jays in Sunday's win over the Pirates and is expected to serve as the team's primary closer while Romano is out.

Urquidy (forearm) is expected to meet with Dr. Keith Meister this week and could be recommended to undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career, Alden Gonzalez and Jeff Passan of ESPN.com report.

Urquidy's consultation with Dr. Meister will be a second opinion, as he previously had his forearm evaluated by a specialist when he was pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land in late May. The right-hander has spent all season on the Astros' injured list after being shut down in mid-March with a right forearm strain, but he appeared to be closing in on a return before experiencing renewed discomfort during his third rehab outing. Urquidy, who previously missed the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, will hope to avoid another such procedure, but even if he's able to recover from the injury with additional rest and rehab, a return from the IL will still likely be several weeks down the road in a best-case scenario.

Abreu is out of the lineup for Monday's contest against the Cardinals.

Abreu has now started five of eight games since rejoining the Astros' active roster, going 3-for-15 with one home run. He'll cede his spot in the lineup Monday to Jon Singleton, who gets the start at first base.

Vogelbach will start at designated hitter and bat cleanup in Monday's contest against the Orioles.

Vogelbach will be making his third straight start at DH after producing four hits and three RBI between Saturday and Sunday's games against the Pirates. Vogelbach has now started six of the last 11 games in the DH slot. It's the same number of starts over that span as Justin Turner, who has been the DH four times and played first base twice during the stretch.

Turner is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Orioles.

Turner has seen his playing time slip lately amidst his struggles, as he's now been out of the lineup for two of the previous three contests and five of the last 11 games. Daniel Vogelbach will make a third straight start at designated hitter.

Mullins is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Blue Jays.

Mullins' grasp on a regular role in the Baltimore outfield could be loosening; he'll find himself on the bench against a right-handed starting pitcher (Kevin Gausman) for the second time in three games. Dating back to May 24, Mullins has produced just one hit in 20 at-bats, bringing his season-long slash line down to an abysmal .181/.225/.319 over 178 plate appearances. With Mullins taking a seat, Colton Cowser will cover center field while Austin Hays cracks the lineup in left field.

The Orioles placed Mateo on the 7-day concussion injured list Monday.

Mateo's move to the 7-day IL comes as little surprise after he entered MLB's concussion protocol when he was removed in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rays after being inadvertently hit the back of the helmet by teammate Cedric Mullins, who was swinging in the on-deck circle alongside him. Ramon Urias came off the bench to replace Mateo, but the Orioles could turn to rookie Connor Norby -- who was called up from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move -- to step in for Mateo as their new everyday second baseman.

The Orioles designated Vieira for assignment Monday.

Vieira's stint in Baltimore was brief and unproductive, as he walked four, allowed three runs and didn't record an out in his lone appearance for the Orioles. It's the second time since late May that Vieira has been designated for assignment, as the move had been made previously by the Brewers before they traded him to Baltimore.

The Orioles recalled Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday.

Baltimore is swapping in Vespi in its bullpen for right-hander Thyago Vieira, who was designated for assignment. The left-handed Vespi has contributed one scoreless appearance during his brief time in the majors in 2024.