The Baltimore Orioles’ aspirations of building upon their surprise playoff run last season have hit an early snag, with news that left-hander Trevor Rogers is not expected to be ready for Opening Day due to a knee injury sustained during the offseason.
Orioles general manager Mike Elias revealed on Thursday that the 27-year-old southpaw suffered a partial dislocation of his right kneecap in January. While Rogers is currently throwing with the team at their Spring Training complex in Sarasota, Florida, he is said to be significantly behind schedule in his preparation for the upcoming campaign.
A Setback for the O’s Rotation
The news comes as a blow to an Orioles team that was counting on Rogers to provide a much-needed left-handed presence in a rotation otherwise populated by right-handers. Baltimore acquired the former All-Star and first-round draft pick from the Miami Marlins in a deadline deal last July, shipping out two top prospects to secure his services.
However, Rogers struggled mightily in his brief stint with the O’s, posting a 7.11 ERA across four starts before being demoted to Triple-A Norfolk. The hope was that an offseason of working with the Orioles’ coaching staff would help him rediscover the form that saw him finish second in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2021.
Depth to Be Tested Early
With Rogers sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Orioles will likely turn to their offseason acquisitions to fill out the rotation. Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano were brought in to bolster a starting five that already includes Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, and Grayson Rodriguez.
The O’s are no strangers to overcoming adversity, having defied expectations to secure a Wild Card berth last year despite a rash of injuries to key players. They’ll be hoping that their newfound depth can help them weather this early storm and keep them in contention in a loaded American League East.
It’s a tough break for Trevor and for us, but we have faith in the guys we have in camp. This is why you build depth, for situations like this.
– Mike Elias, Orioles GM
Mateo Also Questionable for Opening Day
In addition to Rogers, Elias also provided an update on the status of second baseman Jorge Mateo, who underwent surgery on his non-throwing elbow in late August. While Mateo is participating in baseball activities to some extent, Elias acknowledged that he likely wouldn’t be ready for the start of the regular season either.
After a breakout 2024 campaign in which he played stellar defense and was a consistent threat on the basepaths, Mateo’s absence would be another significant hurdle for the Orioles to overcome in the season’s early going. The O’s do have a pair of promising infield prospects in Jordan Westburg and Joey Ortiz who could potentially step in, but there’s no doubt the team would prefer to have their starting second baseman in the lineup on Opening Day.
A Long Road Ahead
With Rogers and Mateo both facing extended absences, the Orioles will have their work cut out for them as they try to prove that last year’s playoff appearance was no fluke. The team’s depth, both in the rotation and around the diamond, figures to be put to the test right out of the gate.
Still, if the O’s have shown anything over the past year, it’s that they’re a resilient bunch capable of weathering adversity. With a talented young core and a front office that has shown a knack for finding value in unexpected places, Baltimore seems well-positioned to remain competitive even in the face of these early setbacks.
As the old saying goes, the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. The Orioles may have stumbled a bit coming out of the blocks, but they’ll have plenty of time to hit their stride and chase down a return trip to the postseason.
