Fenway Park has been host to loads of highlights in John Means’ profession, the location of his main league debut in 2018 and first opening day begin with the Orioles in 2021.
It’s additionally the place, this weekend, he rejoined the workforce prematurely of his long-awaited activation from the injured checklist after his April 2022 Tommy John elbow reconstruction. Means threw a bullpen Saturday, and with Baltimore but to checklist starters for the ultimate two video games in its upcoming dwelling sequence with the St. Louis Cardinals, the 30-year-old left-hander appears poised to return to the rotation he shepherded for a lot of the group’s rebuild. Even becoming a member of the Orioles as a reliever wouldn’t uninteresting what he’s out to attain with a workforce pursuing its first playoff berth since 2016.
Means was an All-Star and the runner-up for American League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and was introduced because the Orioles’ opening starter the following three seasons, although arm fatigue prevented him from making the project in 2020. Between unexpectedly making the season-opening roster in 2019 and exiting his second begin of 2022 with an elbow harm that necessitated surgical procedure, Means posted a 3.72 ERA in 69 outings for Baltimore, one in every of which was a 12-strikeout no-hitter of the Seattle Mariners in May 2021.
A yr later, he was on the IL, present process a process with a restoration time usually lasting greater than a yr. The Orioles initially instructed he may return this July, however as he started to progress towards a return in May, Means suffered a pressure in his higher again that was unrelated to his elbow harm.
On Aug. 10, he made his first rehabilitation outing with Double-A Bowie, and over six begins break up between there and Triple-A Norfolk, he gave up 9 runs in 21 2/3 innings with 22 strikeouts. He pitched into the fifth inning in every look with the Tides, constructing as much as 86 pitches in his penultimate outing earlier than finishing 5 innings on 67 pitches Wednesday.
“I feel really good,” Means mentioned. “Body feels good. Pitches feel good, so I’m ready to go.”
Means mentioned he was happy together with his repertoire, although his low-90s fastball velocity was a tick under what he confirmed earlier than the harm. He praised the motion on his offspeed pitches — his signature changeup, plus a curveball and slider — and the reactions every of his choices drew from hitters.
The subsequent take a look at is how they carry out towards main leaguers. Should Means be a part of the rotation, he’ll change into one other starter within the combine to begin for the Orioles come the playoffs. Young right-handers Kyle Bradish, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer have established themselves as front-runners to get the ball in a postseason sequence; solely Kremer has shared the Orioles’ rotation with Means. But veterans Kyle Gibson and Jack Flaherty have struggled with consistency, and Means recapturing the shape that made him Baltimore’s greatest starter in the course of the rebuild may give the Orioles a set foursome come October.
They’ve acquired to get there first, and almost 17 months after final pitching for Baltimore, Means is worked up to assist them accomplish that.
“I’ve been waiting a while for this,” Means mentioned. “Just trying ahead to every time that chance is, simply attempt to reap the benefits of it.
“It’s gonna be a lot of fun. This is what we dreamed about for a while, so I’m glad to finally feel part of it.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com