The Orioles announced that they’ve placed righty Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 29, due to lower back discomfort. Right-hander Brandon Young has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in his place. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported that Eflin was headed to the IL but added that a trade of the veteran right-hander remains firmly possible even with the IL placement. It’s a blow to the right-hander’s trade stock, but he could still wind up on the move given that he’s expected back before the end of the season.
It’s been a season to forget for Eflin, who’s already missed time due to lat and lower back injuries. He’s pitched to an ugly 5.93 ERA with a 16.4% strikeout rate — second-lowest of his career — but a terrific 4.2% walk rate. Eflin was sitting on an ERA just over 4.00 into mid-June, with much of the damage against him coming in an eight-run meltdown early in the season. However, he’s been absolutely torched for 23 runs in his past 18 1/3 innings (11.29 ERA) in five starts surrounding the back injury that sent him to the injured list in late June.
Eflin is being paid $18MM in the final season of a three-year, $40MM deal originally signed with Tampa Bay. The Rays traded him to the Orioles last summer in a deal that brought prospects Jackson Baumeister, Mac Horvath and Matthew Etzel to the Rays. (Etzel was traded to the Marlins in exchange for catcher Nick Fortes earlier this week.)
Eflin was quite good in the first two seasons of the contract, pitching to a combined 3.54 ERA in 343 innings — including a 2.60 earned run average down the stretch for Baltimore last season. He’s now been on the injured list four times since the Orioles acquired him last summer. Given this year’s struggles and the current injury, the O’s will surely have to pay down a notable portion of the $5.71MM still owed on this year’s salary.