Albert Suárez’s tough season has officially been cut short.
Before opening their series against the White Sox on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field, the Orioles announced several roster moves one of which placed Suárez on the 15-day injured list with right elbow soreness.
With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, the move effectively closes the book on Suárez’s 2025 campaign, ending what has been a frustrating year for the right-hander.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino explained that Albert Suárez’s latest setback came during his first start of the season on Sunday in Toronto. Suárez worked three innings against the Blue Jays, giving up just one run on two hits and a walk while striking out five. But after 53 pitches, his outing came to an abrupt end when discomfort in his arm surfaced.
“After the third inning, we wanted to check in with him, and he mentioned some tightness in the forearm,” Mansolino said. “At that point, it was the right call to shut him down.”
Suárez was scheduled for an MRI on Monday and is expected to meet with team doctors on Tuesday to learn more about the injury.
It’s a frustrating conclusion to what’s been a stop-and-go season for the 35-year-old right-hander. He appeared briefly out of the bullpen back on March 28, but a Grade 2 subscapularis strain kept him sidelined until early September. In total, Suárez’s 2025 stat line will show a 2-0 record with a 2.31 ERA across five games (one start), striking out 10 while walking just two over 11 2/3 innings.
This year’s setback feels especially tough given how important Albert Suárez was to the Orioles’ 2024 playoff run. Serving as a reliable swingman, he delivered a 9-7 record with a 3.70 ERA, logging 133 2/3 innings across 32 appearances, 24 of them starts.
That performance was remarkable considering he hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2017. Suárez reinvented his career overseas, spending three seasons in Japan (2019–21) and two more in Korea (2022–23) before Baltimore brought him back on a Minor League deal in September of 2023.
Now, the team is waiting on medical imaging and consultations with doctors to determine his next steps, but no matter the outcome, it’s a frustrating way for his season to close.
“He was huge for us last year,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “When you look at the list of players who helped push the Orioles into the 2024 postseason, Albert’s right up there with the big names. That’s why this IL stint is so disappointing — not just for us, but especially for him.
“I feel for Big Al,” Mansolino added. “After everything he went through — heading overseas, working his way back, finally becoming a starter in the Majors again — to then get stuck battling injuries like this, it’s tough to see.”
Other injury notes
Jordan Westburg is just about ready to rejoin the Orioles, with plans for him to be activated ahead of Tuesday’s matchup against the White Sox.
The infielder has been sidelined for nearly a month with a right ankle sprain, but he got back into game action during a three-game rehab stint at Triple-A Norfolk. In his final outing on Sunday, he showed plenty of pop by launching two home runs. Westburg was already with the team in Chicago on Monday, though he was given the day off to continue easing back into full strength.
Interim manager Tony Mansolino said the plan is for Westburg to ease in as the designated hitter Tuesday, then slide back to third base for the next two games. By his fourth day off the IL on Friday, the team will decide whether he needs another DH day or a full rest day.
Meanwhile, catcher Adley Rutschman is on his own comeback path. After dealing with a right oblique strain, he’s set to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday and is expected to need about a week before returning to the Orioles’ lineup.