Rom on his Camden Yards return, Hyde on Means' return to rotation

Drew Rom thought he made it past the trade deadline.

The Orioles’ pitching prospect was in Charlotte with Triple-A Norfolk. Manager Buck Britton approached him. And his baseball life was about to change.

“Was not expecting it at all,” Rom said. “It was literally a minute or two before the trade deadline and Buck walks in and says, ‘Hey Rom, I need to see you in the office real fast.’ I’m like, ‘Oh Lord, here we go.’”

Rom, a Kentucky native, was going to the Cardinals organization with infielder César Prieto and pitcher Zack Showalter for veteran starter Jack Flaherty. He’s starting Wednesday night’s series finale against the Orioles.

“The ball got rolling and next thing I know, I’m in Memphis, and then two weeks later I’m up here in the big leagues with the Cardinals making my debut,” he said. “And then I get to check two things off my check list with playing in Cincinnati and debuting, and the third, playing against the Orioles in Camden.”

Rom said he was “anxious and sad, for sure,” after learning of the trade. The Orioles drafted him in the fourth round in 2018 out of Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. The last selections made by the former front office.

“I’m leaving everyone I knew in professional baseball, guys that I grew up with,” he said. “The guys that I kind of made my name with as being their friends, one of their teammates. Just leaving them when they were getting so close, just getting to where they are as a competing team every single year, day in and day out. After that, when I heard it was the Cardinals, I was excited because that meant I was going back to Cincinnati and play in front of the hometown crowd at least once or twice a season, so I was looking forward to that. But also, I saw the history they have and what they expect day in and day out here is playoff team every year.”

Rom was recalled on May 9 and optioned two days later. He made it to Camden Yards but didn’t pitch.

Walking into the visiting clubhouse this afternoon, Rom smiled and shook hands with a small group of reporters who wanted to know how he felt being back.

“Different, definitely for sure,” he said.

“Not the situation I envisioned. I just always wanted to pitch here in the big leagues at some point, but I’ll take any opportunity I can get. I am happy that it’s with the Cardinals because you just couldn’t ask for a better organization to come into. It’s a really young team for the most part, with the exception of, there are some veterans to help us out here and they’re intent on helping us out and turning this around, back to the Cardinals that we were last year. A perennial playoff team every year. I’m excited to hopefully be in the mix for this year and next year. I’m just looking for that opportunity.

“But just in terms of coming back to Camden, it’s definitely something I’ve been waiting for for five years. Definitely excited to do it against some of my friends, too, so that’s going to be even more fun. I’m looking forward to it.”

Rom is making his fifth start Wednesday. He’s 0-2 with a 7.79 ERA and 2.019 WHIP in 17 1/3 innings.

His best outing was in Philadelphia, with two runs allowed and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings on Aug. 27.

Is this the Rom revenge game?

“I mean, not really,” he said. “Of course, it will feel good if I go out and shove against the Orioles just because it always feels good to do that. But there’s really no chip on my shoulder, no grudge against anyone over there. It’s a business, it’s baseball. I know it happens, so I’m not going to have any hardships with any guys over there. I know that’s how it works, so I’m just going to go out and do my thing and have fun doing it against some of my best friends.”

Kyle Gibson opposes Rom. The Orioles are starting Kyle Bradish, Jack Flaherty, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer in the four-game series against Tampa Bay that begins Thursday night.

John Means makes his first start tonight since April 13, 2022.

“Excited to have Meansie back,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“I just saw him in the clubhouse. He looked super focused. I’m sure he’s going to have a ton of nerves. What a cool story. He’s had to deal with a lot these past (17) months, and to finally get out there tonight will be a special moment for him and we’re all excited about watching him.

“I’m hoping for the best. We could really use some innings right now, just kind of the way the starting pitching’s been the last few days. Our bullpen has pitched a lot of innings. I’m hoping that he can get us into at least the middle part of the game and pitch well and hope we can piece it together from there. But definitely a guy making his first start, coming off Tommy John, we comfortable with how he’s built up, all the progress he’s made and the work he’s done to get to this point.”

Means made six rehab starts and was stretched out to 86 pitches.

“He’s built up as a starter,” Hyde said.

Hyde will know that Means is fully back if the changeup is a weapon.

“I’m hoping that he has that changeup because the changeup is so good and it’s so good when he’s healthy,” Hyde said. “That was his signature pitch in ’19, kind of the pitch that put him on the map, and the pitch that really pushed us to put him in the rotation after an outing or two in the bullpen. That was when you noticed this guy’s got a different level pitch.”