Zach Eflin underwent UCL reconstruction surgery and will miss the rest of the 2026 season and probably at least the first half of 2027.
Baltimore re-signed Eflin to a one-year, $10 million contract during the 2025 offseason. The 32-year-old pitcher left his season debut citing elbow discomfort and went for a second opinion before the surgery was confirmed necessary.
Eflin posted a 5.93 ERA with a 6-5 record in 14 games during the 2025 season with Baltimore. He had previously combined for a 3.54 ERA with a 23.1% strikeout rate over 343 innings between the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles from 2023-24. In his 2026 season debut, Eflin managed only 3 2/3 innings before the elbow injury occurred.
The Baltimore Orioles moved Eflin to the 60-day injured list and recalled Cade Povich as a potential fifth starter. Eflin will return to the open market at season's end following this injury-shortened campaign.