Baltimore Orioles could gain a former All-Star ace at the best possible time

With September looking like it will be an all-out brawl between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles for control of the American League East, it appears the Orioles may get a very important weapon back for the final stretch of the regular season.

Baltimore Orioles could get John Means back in rotation soon

John Means has not pitched for the Orioles since April 13, 2022, going on the injured list shortly after that start with a left elbow strain. That, however, turned into Tommy John surgery, forcing the southpaw to miss the rest of the 2022 campaign as well as the start of the 2023 season.

Baltimore had hoped to have Means back earlier in 2023, but he suffered a muscle strain during a workout in May that slowed his return timeline down significantly. That, however, seems to be in the past as Means has made five minor league starts (including two for Triple-A Norfolk). In those five starts, Means has looked solid, logging a combined 3.24 ERA over 16.2 innings.

In his last start on August 31, Means allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings to lower his Triple-A ERA to 0.96 while opponents are hitting just .156 against him.

All of that certainly sounds good for an Orioles team that could use an additional boost as they work to hold off the Rays in the AL East. Baltimore entered Sunday's play with a 2.5-game lead over Tampa Bay, and the two teams will meet for a pivotal four-game series at Camden Yards from September 14-17.

Will Means be a part of the Baltimore arsenal when the Rays pay a visit? It's certainly looking like that is a possibility, and that's good news for an Orioles rotation that is currently in the middle of all MLB teams with a 4.37 combined ERA from its 2023 starters.