Baltimore Orioles’ Zach Eflin Opens Up About Heartbreaking Injury
The Orioles' right-hander caught a tough break this year.
It's one thing to have an injury-shortened season, but Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Zach Eflin got unlucky two years in a row. The 6-foot-6, 230-pounder made just 14 starts in 2025, partially due to a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure to heal his back, and he tore his right UCL in his first start of 2026. He underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday and is out for the season, per The Baltimore Banner.
Eflin opened up about how he felt when the injury occurred, via The Baltimore Sun's Jacob Calvin Meyer. "Really just felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest," he admitted. Zach Eflin wasn’t dealing with any elbow discomfort this spring or in the first three innings of his opening start.
He tore his UCL on a fastball in the fourth inning, and he immediately knew something was wrong. “Really just felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest. ” — Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) April 12, 2026 Zach Eflin Has Uncertain Future With Orioles Balitimore Orioles starter Zach Eflin (24).
© Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Eflin has an established track record, but there's no guarantee that he'll pitch for Baltimore again. The 32-year-old has a mutual option on his contract for 2027 worth $25 million, per Spotrac. The Orioles acquired Eflin from the Tampa Bay Rays in July 2024, and he went 5-2 with a 2.