Eflin on Opening Day honor: "I don’t know a better way to find out than from the people you love the most"

SARASOTA, Fla. – Zach Eflin threw in the bullpen earlier today to prepare for his Sunday start against the Phillies at Ed Smith Stadium. His last time facing hitters occurred on a back field. He’s got two more appearances lined up before it gets real.

In Eflin’s case, that’s Opening Day on March 27 in Toronto.

Eflin received confirmation this morning that he’d face the Blue Jays in the first game of the 2025 season. He was called into manager Brandon Hyde’s office, instructed to sit down on a couch and handed a tablet. The Orioles put him on a video call with his wife Lauren, oldest daughter Ashton and twins Austen and Hallie.

“We have some people who want to say some things to you,” Hyde said.

Lauren counted off “1-2-3” and they told him, not quite in unison, that he’s be the Opening Day starter.  

“That’s so sweet,” Eflin said with a big smile on his face. “That is amazing. Thank you guys so much for that.”

“It’s a special deal,” Hyde said as he embraced Eflin, “and we wanted to get your family involved.”

Eflin met with the local beat crew outside the baseball operations center to share the experience.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m getting chills right now. I don’t know a better way to find out than from the people you love the most,” he said.

“Hyder came up with the iPad and he said, ‘All right, are you ready to do it?’ I was like, ‘Man, I hope my family’s on it.’ So it was awesome to see all of them. It was great.”

Eflin had no idea, saying he’s probably gone in the office five or six times this spring for various reasons. He was just expecting a normal conversation.

“And then I saw my family.”

Eflin started for the Rays on Opening Day 2024 and knows what to expect with the festivities and the fussing.

“I think going through situations you’ve never been in, like last year for me being Opening Day, treat it like any other game, right?” he said. “But now that I’ve done it before and kind of know how to prepare myself, anxiety might be a little more heightened on Opening Day, it might be a little bit more heightened throughout the year and the playoffs, but you have those experiences and you learn from it. And you understand that this is a game you’ve been playing since you were 4 years old. Nothing really changes.

“Just very blessed and humbled and very appreciative that they trust me like that.”

“I think it’s a special day and something he’ll never forget,” Hyde said. “If you ask guys who have had multiple Opening Days, they’ll tell you how special each one of them is. Opening Day is like a holiday, and to be the one on the mound for your team, it means a lot.”

If Eflin was surprised by the news, he might have been the only one. It became real obvious.

“I don’t really expect anything in this game, honestly,” he said. “My job is to show up every fifth day as healthy as I can be and stay in the game as long as possible. I try to have small goals like that.”

Eflin will be pitching in a hostile environment while entering his 10^th major league season and handling his second Opening Day assignment. Hyde said it’s helpful but didn’t factor into the decision.

“Nothing really bothers Zach,” Hyde said. “He’s as cool and calm as they come. … He’s been a joy since we got to have him last year.”

Eflin posted a 2.60 in nine starts after the Orioles acquired him from the Rays for three minor leaguers. He allowed three runs in 19 1/3 innings in August and held opponents to a .194 average. Starting Game 2 of the Wild Card Series, Eflin allowed one run over four innings against the Royals.

“He was just so steady last year,” Hyde said. “He gave us a chance every start, made a great start in the postseason for us. He’s a great teammate. He pulls for guys the other four days that he doesn’t start. He goes about his business the right way every single day, he’s incredibly professional. He’s one for a young pitcher to definitely follow, and he just does everything right.”

Eflin threw around 70 pitches on the back field this week to ramp up. He’s allowed four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings in two Grapefruit League starts, but the numbers don’t matter.

“Going good,” he said. “Felt healthy coming in, feel healthy now. It’s really about checking those two boxes. Really building up the pitch count, getting the volume up to be prepared to go 33-plus starts. So feel like it’s going great. Having a lot of fun.”

John Means (2021-22) is the only repeat Opening Day starter in the past two years. Eflin gets the ball next month, following Corbin Burnes last season, Kyle Gibson in 2023, Tommy Milone as an injury replacement for Means in 2020, Andrew Cashner as an injury replacement for Alex Cobb in 2019, Dylan Bundy in 2018, Kevin Gausman in 2017 and Chris Tillman in 2016 – his third consecutive assignment.

The challenge now for Eflin is getting his family, including infant son Hayden, into Canada.

“If we can find our passports,” he said. “I have my passport, but somehow we cannot find the other passports right now. So we’re looking. We’ll see. I don’t know how realistic it is for four kids under 3 to go through customs and everything. I would probably be happy that I’m not gonna be a part of that process, but I’m hoping we can find their passports.

“I would love for them to be there, obviously, but just the simple fact of finding out from them is more than anything I could ask for.”

Hyde hasn’t announced the rest of his starters for the four-game series in Toronto or the March 31 home opener against the Red Sox. He doesn’t know whether Gunnar Henderson will be ready for Opening Day and didn’t have an update on Grayson Rodriguez, who’s shut down after receiving a cortisone injection in his right elbow.

Rodriguez won’t require an MRI after the inflammation subsides, which is comforting to a team that can’t afford to lose him to a more serious injury. He didn’t throw more than 33 pitches in an exhibition start.

“I think we’re giving him these seven to 10 days, seeing how he feels after, and then he starts a throwing progression,” Hyde said. “Really, it’s a restart, so it’s gonna take a while.”

The Orioles expect infielder Jorge Mateo to begin the season on the injured list. Hyde said it’s “to be determined” but “pretty doubtful” that Mateo is ready for Opening Day.

“He hasn’t played in a game yet,” Hyde said. “There’s a chance he might play here in the next handful of days, but he hasn’t had an at-bat since he got hurt in Miami (on July 23), so it’s gonna be a buildup from there.

“I’m real excited to get Jorgie back. He added so much to our club and the versatility he brings and the athleticism. He just might be a little bit behind.”

Félix Bautista will make his fourth exhibition appearance tonight. He’s allowed three runs and five hits with one walk and five strikeouts in three innings. The Orioles want him to appear in six or seven games to be ready for Opening Day.

Matt Bowman and Levi Stoudt also are available in relief.

Eflin starts Sunday’s split-squad game against the Phillies, who are starting Jesús Luzardo. Albert Suárez opposes former Oriole Jack Flaherty in the other split-squad game in Lakeland.

Roansy Contreras makes the trip to Fort Myers Monday to start against the Red Sox.