Orioles southpaw to begin rehab assignment with Norfolk tomorrow
*Cover Photo Credit: John Topoleski
This morning, the Norfolk Tides announced that left-hander John Means is joining them tomorrow to begin a rehab assignment for the Baltimore Orioles. He will start the finale of the 3-game set with the Durham Bulls and according to Matt Weyrich on Twitter, he will throw just two innings of work.
Right when the Orioles reported to Spring Training, vice president of baseball operations Mike Elias announced that Means was a month behind the rest of the pitchers due to a setback that he suffered last October in his throwing arm, the same one that received Tommy John surgery in 2022. He was placed on the 10-day IL prior to the start of the regular season.
Now, after not throwing in any Spring Training games, Means will ramp up his throwing program and face batters in tomorrow's game for Norfolk.
When Means returned from Tommy John surgery last September, he was greeted by the fans with a thunderous round of applause. He's going to get the same reception upon return to the big league club this year. The 30-year-old, whose signature pich is a plus changeup, rose as a fan favorite during the rebuilding years, standing out as one of the only few pitchers who could consistently and efficiently hold down the fort in the starting rotation. As an Oriole, Means has a lifetime 3.74 ERA with a 1.060 WHIP and 318 strikeouts in 380.1 innings. he was named to the 2019 All-Star Game, but th real defining moment of his career came on May 6, 2021, when he tossed the franchise's sixth no-hitter.
Means started six games in the minors last season as he made the long recovery back from Tommy John surgery. In those six starts split between Double-A Bowie and Norfolk, he posted a 3.74 ERA with 22 punchouts in 21.2 innings of work.
There's not really a set timetable for Mean's return to Baltimore as of right now. The expectation is that he gets a few starts under his belt with the Tides and soon after, assuming all goes well and that he doesn't face a setback, that he returns to theOrioles shortly after. When healthy, the southpaw is one of the top tier arms in the rotation and is a key piece to the Orioles making the postseason.
If you are in the Norfolk, Virginia area and if you want to catch Means start the game for the Tides tomorrow, purchase tickets to tomorrow's game here.
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