Means (elbow) allowed two hits and one walk while striking out four over 3.2 innings for High-A Lake County on Wednesday.
Means made his second rehab start for the Captains and worked his pitch count to 51 (34 strikes) while using his entire arsenal, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. The left-hander, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2024, is on schedule relative to what the team has laid out for him. Means will likely need a couple more rehab starts before he's deemed ready for activation.
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Guardians' John Means: Ready for rehab games
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Means (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment with High-A Lake County on Friday, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
It will be the hurler's first official game action since he underwent a second Tommy John surgery last June. Means is scheduled to throw three innings for Lake County and will continue to build up his stamina before joining the Guardians' rotation, likely in September.
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Guardians' John Means: Throwing off mound
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Means (elbow) has begun throwing off a mound, MLB.com reports.
Means is attempting to come back from a second Tommy John surgery and could return late in the 2025 regular season. He'll continue his throwing progression but has not yet taken the mound for a bullpen session, and there's no timeline yet for the 32-year-old southpaw to begin a rehab assignment.
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Guardians' John Means: Could start mound work soon
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Means (elbow) is expected to begin throwing bullpen sessions at some point this month, MLB.com reports.
As of April 30, Means had been responding well since starting up his throwing program, and he had increased his throwing distance off flat ground to 120 feet. Assuming he's avoided any setbacks in his recovery from Tommy John surgery over the ensuing two weeks, he could take the next step forward in the rehab process by getting back on the mound. Means still has multiple checkpoints to hit, but a late-season return from the 60-day injured list remains a possibility for the veteran lefty.
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Guardians' John Means: Shifts to 60-day IL
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The Guardians transferred Means (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.
The left-hander is only about 10 months removed from undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery, so it was only a matter of time before he was moved to the 60-day IL. Means continues to ramp up his throwing program and isn't expected to be ready for game action until late in the season.
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Guardians' John Means: Sent to injured list
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The Guardians placed Means (elbow) on the 15-day injured list Thursday.
Cleveland will hold off on sending Means to the 60-day IL for now, though he isn't expected to be ready for MLB action until the final month of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. If the left-hander runs into any snags during his rehab program, Cleveland may opt to hold Means out for the entire season.
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Guardians' John Means: Extends throwing distance
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Means (elbow) extended his throwing distance to 75-to-90 feet Wednesday.
Means is still in the early stages of what will be a lengthy throwing program after undergoing his second career Tommy John surgery in June. He likely won't be close to pitching in games until the final month of the season, though there's a possibility the team holds off on deploying him until 2026.
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Guardians' John Means: Signs on with Cleveland
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Means (elbow) agreed Monday with the Guardians on a one-year, $1 million contract that includes a $7.5 million club option for 2026, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.com reports.
The two sides reportedly had made progress on a deal over the weekend and now they've crossed the finish line. Means underwent his second Tommy John surgery last June and could miss the entire 2025 season, so the Guardians are essentially making a roll of the dice on him for 2026. The left-hander has made just 10 starts at the major-league level since 2022 due to injuries but held a 3.62 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 134:26 K:BB over 146.2 frames covering 26 starts in 2021.
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Orioles' John Means: Second career Tommy John surgery
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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.
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Orioles' John Means: Needs UCL surgery
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Orioles GM Mike Elias announced Friday that Means will undergo surgery to repair the UCL in his left elbow and will miss the rest of the season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
The left-hander headed for a second opinion after being diagnosed with a forearm strain last week, and he'll end up having a third straight injury-shortened campaign. It remains to be seen if Means will require Tommy John surgery -- which he also underwent in April 2022 -- or a lesser procedure, but his absence is likely to push into 2025 regardless. It's a rough day for the Orioles rotation, as Tyler Wells (elbow) will also require UCL surgery.
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Orioles' John Means: Heads to IL with strained forearm
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The Orioles placed Means on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a left forearm strain, Dan Connolly of The Athletic reports.
It's the same injury that forced Means to the IL prior to Opening Day. The left-hander experienced a flareup of the forearm issue during his latest start Wednesday in St. Louis. He'll be eligible to return from the IL in early June, but it's possible he'll need more time than the minimum 15 days given that it's a recurring injury. Cole Irvin is the likeliest candidate to slide into Means' spot in Baltimore's rotation.
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Orioles' John Means: Nabs second win
Rotowire
Means (2-0) earned the win Friday over the Mariners, allowing two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out four.
Means got off to a rocky start, allowing a run on three hits in the first inning. However, he'd settle down and hold Seattle to just one additional run over his final five frames in an eventual 9-2 win. It was a nice bounce-back effort from Means after he gave up four runs to Arizona in just 4.2 innings his last time out. The 31-year-old southpaw lowered his ERA to 3.06 with a 0.85 WHIP and 15 strikeouts over 17.2 innings, and he has yet to issue a walk. Means is currently lined up for a road matchup with the Cardinals in his next outing.
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Orioles' John Means: Stellar in 2024 debut
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Means (1-0) earned the win in Saturday's 2-1 victory over the Reds, allowing three hits over seven scoreless innings. He struck out eight without issuing a walk.
A setback with Means' surgically repaired left elbow put the southpaw on the injured list to begin the 2024 season. After an extended, six-start rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk, Means transitioned beautifully to the big-league rotation, blanking the Reds in Great American Ball Park while racking up 19 swings and misses on 85 pitches. The Cincinnati offense has been in a bad way, but regardless it was an impressive return for Means and he's fully built up heading into his next projected matchup at home against the Diamondbacks. An All-Star in 2019, Means has thrown a no-hitter in the majors and owns a 3.67 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 387.1 career innings over parts of seven seasons.
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Orioles' John Means: Slated for season debut Saturday
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Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Means (elbow) will make his first start of the season Saturday in Cincinnati, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.
Means was activated from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, and now the Orioles have revealed the date for the left-hander's 2024 big-league debut. While Means pitched poorly for most of his rehab assignment, he was excellent in his final outing with Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, striking out eight over seven shutout innings while allowing just one hit and one walk. The southpaw got his pitch count up to 95 in that start, so he shouldn't have any workload concerns Saturday.
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Orioles' John Means: Returns from IL
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The Orioles reinstated Means (forearm) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.
Though manager Brandon Hyde had already noted Monday that Means was on track to rejoin the rotation for this weekend's series in Cincinnati, the Orioles activated him early since the southpaw's 30-day minor-league rehab window officially came to an end. The Orioles placed Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder) on the 15-day IL in a corresponding move, so Means' arrival means that the team should have room in the rotation for at least one of Albert Suarez and Cole Irvin, or even both pitchers if Hyde elects to go with a six-man rotation. Means struggled mightily through the first five starts of his rehab stint with Triple-A Norfolk (13.89 ERA, 2.31 WHIP in 11.2 innings), but he closed his minor-league assignment in dominant fashion Sunday, striking out eight over seven shutout innings and allowing just one hit and one walk. He tossed 95 pitches (61 strikes) in the outing and is unlikely to face any major restrictions when he makes his 2024 Orioles debut, likely Friday or Saturday.
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Orioles' John Means: Builds up to 79 pitches
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Means (forearm) struck out five and allowed three earned runs on seven hits and one walk over 4.1 innings in a rehab start Tuesday for Triple-A Norfolk.
Means built up to 79 pitches in the rehab start, his fifth overall with Norfolk. The 31-year-old lefty hasn't performed as well as the Orioles had hoped during the rehab assignment -- he holds a 13.89 ERA, 2.41 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB in 11.2 innings -- but with Wednesday's outing arguably being Means' best yet, he could be cleared to return from the 15-day injured list soon. According to Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com, the Orioles haven't ruled out the possibility of Means returning from the IL to start Sunday versus the Athletics, though the club may prefer to have the red-hot Albert Suarez (11.1 scoreless innings through two starts) make another turn through the rotation.
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Orioles' John Means: Making another rehab start
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Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Means (forearm) will make another rehab start during the upcoming week, Danielle Allentuck of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Means made the third start of his rehab assignment this past Thursday with Triple-A Norfolk, striking out three over three innings while allowing two runs on two hits and two walks. The lefty tossed 61 pitches (35 strikes) in the start, so he may need only one or two more outings in the minors before getting cleared to return from the 15-day injured list. Once activated, Means will most likely join the rotation as a replacement for Cole Irvin, as the two southpaws' pitching schedules are currently aligned.
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Orioles' John Means: Making second rehab start
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Means (forearm) will get the start for Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday against Charlotte, Steve Melewski of MASNSports.com reports.
Means struggled in his first rehab start Monday, giving up seven runs on six hits and a walk over just one inning. He'll look to have a bounce-back performance Saturday as he works through a left forearm strain that flared up at the start of spring training.
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Orioles' John Means: Struggles in rehab start
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Means (forearm) was roughed up for seven runs over one-plus inning Sunday in his first rehab start with Triple-A Norfolk.
Means surrendered a pair of home runs among six hits and walked one batter. He threw 32 pitches, induced three whiffs and averaged 90.8 mph on his four-seamer, which was 0.9 mph lower than a season ago. Clearly, it's not the kind of performance Means was looking for as a ramps up for a return to the Orioles' rotation, but it will become worrisome only if it continues in subsequent rehab outings. He'll need a handful of rehab starts before returning potentially in late April.
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Orioles' John Means: Starting rehab assignment Sunday
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Means (forearm) will begin his rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Norfolk.
Means didn't pitch in spring training, so he'll continue ramping up in the minors. He had a flare-up with his surgically repaired left elbow in October, putting him behind in the spring. Means is likely to need just about all of his 30-day rehab window to get up to speed, so his major-league season debut should be expected in mid-to-late April if he avoids setbacks.
