Reports surfaced Wednesday that Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin has undergone season-ending Tommy John surgery and is expected to miss the rest of the 2026 campaign. The veteran righty exited his March 31 start at Oriole Park at Camden Yards with right-elbow discomfort and did not return. If the surgery is confirmed, the Orioles will be down a seasoned arm in a rotation already riddled with injury trouble.
Local television station WMAR2News reported that Eflin is out for the season after undergoing the procedure. Separately, ESPN reported that the Orioles had transferred Eflin to the 60-day injured list and that he was traveling for a second opinion after undergoing imaging on his right elbow.
Eflin, 32, re-signed with Baltimore on a one-year, $10 million deal in late December and had returned from a lumbar microdiscectomy that ended his 2025 season, according to MLB.com. After he left his March 31 outing, the Orioles initially placed him on the 15-day injured list while medical tests were pending.
Manager reaction
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz told reporters that “the way it's trending, 60-day makes a ton of sense,” a line that appeared in ESPN's reporting. The organization has stressed the need for detailed imaging and outside opinions before locking in any long-term prognosis.
Rotation ripple effects
The loss of Eflin would force Baltimore to juggle innings and roles with one fewer veteran starter available. MLB.com noted that the club recalled Albert Suárez to bolster the bullpen after Eflin's early exit, and internal depth options such as Dean Kremer or a minor-league call-up are likely candidates to absorb additional innings as the season grinds on.
What a UCL reconstruction would mean
If Eflin has indeed undergone ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, which is commonly called Tommy John surgery, the recovery timeline is usually longer than a year. The Cleveland Clinic notes that full recovery typically takes 12 to 18 months, a window that would sideline Eflin for the rest of this season and at least part of next spring.
For now, the Orioles' official information lists Eflin on the 60-day injured list while medical evaluations continue. Neither the Orioles nor MLB had issued a team release confirming a UCL reconstruction at the time of publication, and no formal medical timeline had been announced.
