Report: AL East Pitcher Remains Trade Candidate Despite Injury

An ill-timed injury won’t necessarily remove a veteran from trade conversations.

The Baltimore Orioles placed Zach Eflin on the 15-day injured list on Thursday morning, retroactive to Tuesday, with low back discomfort. Playing on an expiring contract for a last-place team, Eflin was a logical candidate to get moved before the evening’s deadline.

Eflin could reportedly still change teams on Thursday. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal called it “very possible” the Orioles deal Eflin anyway.

Another injury could diminish interest in Eflin amid a disastrous season. He’s gotten tagged to a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts, amassing only 50 strikeouts in 71 1/3 innings.

The latest setback marks Eflin’s third trip to the IL in 2025. He missed a month with a lat strain suffered in April and was sidelined because of his back in late June.

Eflin returned from that second IL stint last week. He allowed two runs over five innings in a solid return against the Cleveland Guardians but surrendered eight hits and four runs to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

Despite those circumstances, someone could still gamble on a starter who notched a 3.54 ERA over the prior two seasons. Eflin hasn’t replicated a career-high 26.5 strikeout percentage from 2023, but only George Kirby has a lower walk rate among starters since 2021.

That past success could merit a low-cost gamble. Meanwhile, the Orioles could take a modest return as aggressive deadline sellers. Baltimore has already traded Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez and Ramon Urias and is expected to move more veterans, such as possible Boston Red Sox targets Ryan O’Hearn and Charlie Morton.

Eflin wouldn’t be the first injured pitcher dealt on Thursday. The Guardians sent Shane Bieber to Toronto even though the 2020 AL Cy Young Award winner hasn’t pitched in the majors since undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.