Breaking News: These two Orioles players are out for the season due to UCL injury

Since John Means exited his recent Orioles start with diminished velocity, indicating potential elbow issues, concern over a specific outcome lingered—the dreaded ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) tear, often necessitating season-ending surgery for pitchers.

On Friday, Mike Elias confirmed these fears: Means indeed has UCL damage, requiring surgery ending his season. Concurrently, Elias disclosed that Tyler Wells, absent from Orioles action since April 12, faces a similar fate with a UCL tear.

Elias clarified that while surgery is imminent, whether it’s a full Tommy John procedure or an alternative will be determined during the operation. Notably, internal brace surgery is now commonplace for players with previous Tommy John surgeries.

Both Means and Wells have undergone Tommy John surgery before, with Means experiencing the setback just two years after his initial procedure, curtailing his recent comeback. Conversely, Wells endured his UCL injury over five years ago while in Double-A with the Twins, underscoring the risk associated with prior arm injuries.

Regardless of the surgical specifics, neither pitcher will grace the mound in 2024, with Elias indicating they’ll miss the start of the 2025 season as well. Considering Means’ impending free agency, it’s plausible that his Orioles tenure has concluded unless a contract extension materializes during his rehabilitation, which seems unlikely given the team’s circumstances.