For the second spring in a row, the Orioles got bad news on the pitching front. Last year, Kyle Bradish and John Means were revealed to have arm issues that lingered and needed more time to heal. This year, it was announced that Grayson Rodriguez was dealing with elbow discomfort and will miss—at least—the start of the season.
Now, as important as Rodriguez is to the Orioles’ 2025 plans, this news does not impact their status as a contender in the American League too much. Rodriguez has the tools to be an ace, but has not performed as such just yet, and injuries are almost baked into the cake for him at this point.