BALTIMORE -- Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin exited his 2026 debut with right elbow discomfort, leaving Tuesday night's game vs. the Rangers at Camden Yards during the top of the fourth inning.
The 31-year-old righty will undergo imaging on Wednesday and is “more than likely” heading to the IL, manager Craig Albernaz said following his team's 8-5 loss.
Eflin -- who underwent back surgery last Aug. 18 -- had been cruising for much of the night, racking up seven strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings. Texas' only run against him came on Ezequiel Duran's leadoff home run in the third.
However, the Rangers were rallying with two outs in the fourth, as Danny Jansen hit a double and Evan Carter followed with a walk. Eflin threw one pitch to Duran before head athletic trainer Scott Barringer came to the mound and had a lengthy discussion during the visit, leading to Eflin's removal.
Entering Spring Training, there had been uncertainty regarding whether Eflin would be built up in time to be included on the Opening Day roster, as he was the last O's starter to get into Grapefruit League games. But he had a terrific showing in spring, stating multiple times he felt much better than he did before undergoing a lumbar microdiscectomy that ended his season last year.
Eflin's 2025 campaign was marred by injuries, as he had three stints on the injured list. He had a 5.93 ERA in 14 starts after recording a 2.60 ERA over nine outings for Baltimore in the second half of '24, following a Trade Deadline deal that sent him from the Rays to the Orioles.