Means goes on injured list, plus lineup (updated)

By Roch Kubatko

Orioles

April 15, 2022, 3:32pm

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The Orioles have placed left-hander John Means on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow strain. The move is retroactive to yesterday.

Reliever Travis Lakins Sr. had his contract selected from Triple-A Norfolk. Room on the 40-man roster was created with left-hander Kevin Smith clearing outright waivers and being assigned to the Tides.

Means exited Wednesday night’s start after four innings with tightness in his forearm, which often is a precursor to an elbow injury. He underwent an MRI, and manager Brandon Hyde will provide more details later this afternoon.

This is the fourth consecutive season that Means has gone on the injured list, the previous three relating to his left shoulder. He was denied the opening day start in 2020 due to a strain.

Means said he’s never experienced forearm/elbow discomfort, which he first noticed last Friday at Tropicana Field while throwing a curveball. It resurfaced in the third inning Wednesday on the same pitch.

Lakins made 24 appearances last season before undergoing surgery to address a recurrent olecranon stress fracture in his right elbow. He’s pitched twice for Norfolk and allowed two runs and five hits in three innings.

Smith, 24, came to the Orioles in the Miguel Castro trade with the Mets in August 2020. In two games with Norfolk, he’s allowed two runs and five hits with six walks, three strikeouts and a hit batter over 7 2/3 innings.

Hyde must find another starter to replace Means, with bullpen choices including Alexander Wells, Keegan Akin and Mike Baumann.

Jordan Lyles makes his second start tonight after allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings at Tropicana Field. This is his third career appearance and second start against the Yankees, and he’s allowed three earned runs (four total) and eight hits in 8 2/3 innings.

Giancarlo Stanton is 4-for-9 with two doubles and a home run lifetime versus Lyles.

Ramón Urías moves up from fifth to second in the lineup. Chris Owings is starting at second base.

The Orioles are 5-for-55 with runners in scoring position.

Left-hander Jordan Montgomery allowed three runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings in his first start against the Red Sox. He’s 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA and 1.353 WHIP in 12 career starts against the Orioles, with 72 strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings.

Trey Mancini is 9-for-21 with a home run lifetime against Montgomery. Cedric Mullins is 5-for-16, Ryan Mountcastle is 4-for-14 with a double and home run, and Urías is 3-for-7.

For the Orioles

Cedric Mullins CF
Ramón Urías 3B

Ryan Mountcastle 1B

Trey Mancini DH

Anthony Santander RF
Austin Hays LF

Jorge Mateo SS
Robinson Chirinos C
Chris Owings 2B

Jordan Lyles RHP

The Orioles released pitcher Yeancarlos Lleras, a sixth-round pick in 2018 from Leadership Christian Academy in Puerto Rico who made two appearances this season with Single-A Delmarva and didn’t retire a batter while allowing six runs and walking seven. He had a 7.78 ERA and 1.886 WHIP in 39 minor league games and averaged 5.8 walks per nine innings, spending last year in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League.

Steve Melewski is on game coverage tonight and will have more on Means. I’ll be back Saturday.

Update: Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters at Camden Yards that Means is getting additional testing and the club doesn't know how long he will be out.