Means finding out again what he means to Orioles

John Means walked into the Orioles’ clubhouse Tuesday afternoon, about five minutes before it closed to the media, with a long brace on his left arm, a broad smile on his face and his eyes scanning the room.

Searching for teammates who hadn't gone on the field.

Means began to walk toward the doors leading into the dining area, paused and took a sharp left to his locker. The nameplate was back above it. He joked that he was happy to find out he still had one.

The Orioles know that Means won’t pitch for them in 2022, but they want him to stay. To resume his leadership role, set the example, lift them during the down periods that strike a rebuilding club.

Even with one bad arm.

Means will stay through the homestand and fly with them to New York for his arbitration hearing on May 26. He vows to come back to Baltimore for longer stretches.

His cardio can be done at home chasing 1-year-old son McCoy.

“Yeah, that's been the best part, let me tell you,” Means said, smiling. “He's swinging off the tee now and he's running around constantly. I'm getting my workout in just chasing him around the living room and kitchen to try to keep his hands off the oven and microwave.”

The Orioles were happy to get their eyes on Means. He’s been missed around here.

How much?

Manager Brandon Hyde

“Our rotation besides Lyles is pretty inexperienced, and so to have somebody that’s been through it, had success pitching in this division, it’s nice to have somebody to talk to for those guys. Meansie is very open. He hasn’t had a ton of major league experience, either, but he’s had a lot of success in a short major league career so far and gone through a lot of stuff, and I think it’s a nice reference for those guys.”

Reliever Jorge López

“What he brings to the game, what he does around here, we just learn how to be more of a leader. He’s such a great father, such a great dude. He’s just easy to talk to. He knows the game very well. It helps us to take his opinion, it’s to our advantage, and we’re blessed to have him here, for sure.”

First baseman/designated hitter Trey Mancini

“It’s great to have him back. Obviously, it’s a huge loss for us to not have him on the mound every five days, and I know how he’s feeling. I felt the exact same way in 2020. It’s weird being away from the team, and in 2020 I wasn’t allowed to come in with all the protocols and everything. But if it would have happened a different year, then I would have tried to do what he's doing, tried to be around the guys some, because it’s hard to be away. It really is. It’s definitely a part of our lives, and growing up we were always on a team. It’s a special thing, and when you’re not around it, it can be tough, so it’s great to have him around. And I know he wants to be around us as much as possible, which is awesome.

“He’s got enough experience under his belt where he can help a lot of guys. He’s familiar with a lot of the people we’re facing, so he can offer some really good advice and knowledge to some of these guys who maybe haven’t faced a lot of these hitters before. He definitely can still help us out even though he’s on the mend now.”

Outfielder Austin Hays

“I had a huge smile on my face yesterday when I walked in and I saw him standing there. It’s great to have him back. He’s a leader on this team. He’s the ace of our staff before he hurt his arm. So I’m glad he’s back for a couple weeks or however long it is. I think it’s really good to have him and his experience to be around the staff, especially playing a couple AL East teams that he’s pitched against a lot these next couple weeks. I think it will be good to have him around.”

First baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle

“It’s great, it’s great. He’s a great guy. I’m happy the surgery went well and it’s good to have him around, just to see how he’s feeling and how things are going. It’s cool to see him back and in good spirits.

“With a young staff coming in, a bunch of new guys, I’m sure they’ll try to pick his brain if he’s here. Definitely good for them. I’m happy to have him back.”

Pitcher Tyler Wells

“The best way to put it is, it’s a good energy. For a guy who’s always been a leader in the clubhouse, to have him back, even if it is for a brief period of time, it allows a lot of us younger guys, it allows the entire team to kind of feel, I guess, well-rounded. It feels like we’re back to normal. His absence definitely doesn’t go unnoticed.

“I talked to him a couple times in the last couple weeks, just kind of checking in on him, see how he’s doing. To be able to have him back here, have face-to-face conversations with him, is always nice and definitely brings back a lot of good, well-rounded energy.

“We talked quite a bit about, he got surgery done by the same surgeon (Dr. Keith Meister) who did my surgery, so we talked a little bit about the rehab process, talked about things outside baseball, just to pass the time. It’s a long and very mentally challenging rehab process, so we talk a lot about that. And overall, it seems like he’s doing really well, he’s excited for what’s to come out of it. Definitely in good spirits from what I’ve seen.”