Orioles Place Eflin on 15-Day IL with Elbow Issue

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with right elbow discomfort after exiting his season debut early in a loss to the Texas Rangers.

The injury occurred during Tuesday night's 8-5 defeat at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the Orioles' home opener. Eflin, making his first start since July, pitched effectively through much of his outing, striking out seven batters while allowing just one run on a solo home run by Ezequiel Duran in the third inning. His velocity remained consistent, showing no obvious signs of trouble until the fourth.

With two runners on and two outs, Eflin faced Duran again. After a mound visit, he threw a 76 mph curveball, which was called a ball. Trainers and manager Craig Albernaz then conferred once more, and Eflin was removed after 3 2/3 innings. Reliever Grant Wolfram replaced him and recorded the final out of the inning, though the bullpen surrendered seven runs over the remaining 4 1/3 innings to seal the loss.

Albernaz confirmed the move to the injured list following imaging tests, noting the team would learn more about the severity in the coming days. "He felt something, and that's why we got Wolfie...