Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin made his return from the injured list and took the mound against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. The right-hander missed two starts due to shoulder inflammation, but showed no signs of rust on Sunday. Eflin allowed only one run while striking out nine batters over seven innings of work. He's 5-0 with an impressive 1.95 ERA since joining the O's at the trade deadline. His next start is set to be against his former team the Tampa Bay Rays next weekend. Eflin is looking like a must-start fantasy option for that game.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin (shoulder) has been activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Colorado Rockies. The good news is that Eflin was only forced to miss the minimum amount of time due to shoulder inflammation. Eflin was average during his 19 starts with the Tampa Bay Rays this season, but he has turned it on since being traded to the O's. He has a 2.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 25/2 K/BB ratio across four starts with his new team. Despite pitching in Colorado, Eflin should be a solid streaming option for Sunday's slate.
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin (shoulder) could come off the 15-day injured list to start on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, according to manager Brandon Hyde. Eflin was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday in what is one of the final hurdles for him. Hitter-friendly Coors Field isn't the ideal place to make your first start off the IL, but the way that the 30-year-old had been pitching before his shoulder injury will probably persuade fantasy managers to roll the dice. In his first four starts with the O's after being acquired in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, he gave up only six earned runs on 24 hits while walking only two and striking out 25 in 25 1/3 innings for four wins. He wasn't nearly good in his 19 starts with Tampa, going 5-7 with a 4.09 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 87 punchouts in 110 frames.
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin (shoulder) sounds pretty confident that he'll be ready to return from the 15-day injured list when he's first eligible on Sept. 1. When asked if he'll be ready after 15 days, he said, "Absolutely. As I stand today, yeah, for sure. I'm not even remotely focusing on rehab starts." Eflin said his right shoulder already feels "10 times better" than it did earlier this week. The 30-year-old was put on the IL on Tuesday with inflammation in his right shoulder, but as things sound now, he won't need any rehab assignments before returning to the O's rotation. Eflin's fantasy managers are surely hoping he's right in his assessment of his injury and his timeline for a return. In his first four starts with Baltimore since being acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays, Eflin has a 2.13 ERA with only two walks and 25 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings.
The Baltimore Orioles placed right-hander Zach Eflin (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 17) on Tuesday with right-shoulder inflammation and recalled left-handed pitching prospect Cade Povich from Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. The team also put left-hander Keegan Akin on the paternity list and recalled right-hander Dillon Tate from Norfolk. Eflin's injury comes out of nowhere to blindside the O's and fantasy managers alike. The 30-year-old had been better since joining Baltimore in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays, as he posted four straight quality starts with 25 strikeouts and two walks in 25 1/3 innings in his first four starts with the O's. Povich, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, will now take Eflin's spot in the starting rotation. The 24-year-old southpaw has been shaky in his first nine MLB starts this year, going 1-6 with a 5.77 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 31 K's and 23 walks.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin had another great start on Thursday, tossing six innings of one-run ball against the Boston Red Sox while picking up his fourth consecutive win. Eflin struck out eight while walking none and allowed just five hits in the contest. It has been a night-and-day difference for Eflin since being acquired by the Orioles at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays. With Tampa, Eflin seldom went six innings, had trouble picking up wins, and just didn't look like his 2023 self. With Baltimore, though, Eflin now has a quality start and a win in all four of his starts, and he's looked much better while doing it. The veteran righty should be rostered universally at this point and could be a big part of fantasy rotations down the stretch.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin turned in a strong performance in Friday night's victory over the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field, firing seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts. In his first start against his former Rays team since being traded away before the late-July deadline, Eflin picked up his eighth win of the season after scattering just four hits and one walk on Friday night against Tampa Bay. It's been a bit of a disappointing season for the 30-year-old veteran right-hander, but he does sport a rock-solid 3.83 ERA and 1.15 WHIP along with a stellar 104:15 K:BB across 129 1/3 frames ahead of a tough matchup on Thursday against the Boston Red Sox.
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin posted the second straight quality start for his new team in a 7-4 victory over the Guardians on Saturday. The 30-year-old tossed six-and-a-third innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three on his way to picking up his seventh win of the season. The righty now has a 4.05 ERA (3.70 FIP), 1.18 WHIP, and while the strikeouts aren't very high (18.9% K%), the walks are very low (2.7% BB%). He'll face a familiar opponent his next time out, his former team, the Tampa Bay Rays on the road next Friday.
Right-hander Zach Eflin struck out seven Toronto Blue Jays over six innings as he won his debut with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Eflin allowed 10 hits and three earned runs in his first start since being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday for three minor-leaguers. He is now 6-7 with a 4.11 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP along with 94 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 116 innings. Fantasy managers hope Eflin can be equally effective in his next start, when he faces an explosive Cleveland Guardians lineup on Saturday.
The Baltimore Orioles are acquiring right-hander Zach Eflin from the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, according to sources. The Rays will receive three unnamed minor-leaguers in the deal. After sending outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners on Thursday night, the Rays will now send one of the best available starting pitchers on the trade market to their division rivals. The 30-year-old Eflin hasn't been as good in Tampa this year as he was in 2023, but he'll give the first-place O's a big boost in their rotation to close out the season. He's currently 5-7 with a 4.09 ERA (3.65 FIP) and 1.16 WHIP with 87 strikeouts and only 13 walks in 110 innings over 19 starts. Eflin's strikeout rate has dropped from 26.5% last year to 18.9% in 2024, his lowest mark since 2019 with the Philadelphia Phillies. Staying in the American League East won't drastically affect his fantasy value, other than having a much better offense backing him now. UPDATE: The Rays are receiving right-hander Jackson Baumeister (O's No. 17 prospect), outfielder Matthew Etzel and super-utility man Mac Horvath (O's No. 10 prospect).
