Orioles left-hander Trevor Rogers is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after partially dislocating his right kneecap during the offseason, according to Baltimore general manager Mike Elias on Thursday.
Elias informed reporters at Orioles camp that Rogers suffered a knee subluxation in January. The exact timing and cause of the injury remain unclear. While Rogers is currently playing catch with the team in Florida, he is considerably behind schedule.
Baltimore traded for the former All-Star left-hander and first-round pick from Miami last July, sending two top prospects in return. However, after struggling in four starts with a 7.11 ERA and an 0-2 record, Rogers was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk just three weeks later. Over 19 innings, he surrendered 25 hits and 15 earned runs.
Rogers offered a left-handed option for the Orioles’ rotation, but the team appears set with five right-handers for now. Offseason additions Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano join returning starters Zach Eflin, Dean Kremer, and Grayson Rodriguez.
The 27-year-old Rogers has a career record of 15-34 with a 4.36 ERA across 84 major league starts, the first 80 of which came with the Marlins from 2020 until last summer’s trade. Miami selected him 13th overall in the 2017 amateur draft out of Carlsbad High School in New Mexico.
Rogers earned All-Star honors in 2021, the same year he finished as the runner-up to Cincinnati’s Jonathan India for National League Rookie of the Year. That season, he posted a 7-8 record with a 2.64 ERA across 25 starts, striking out 157 batters over 133 innings.
Elias stated that second baseman Jorge Mateo, who underwent left elbow surgery on his non-throwing arm in late August, is also unlikely to be ready for the March 27 opener in Toronto. Although he is playing catch and progressing in his hitting routine, he remains behind schedule.
Mateo sustained the injury on July 23 during a game against Miami when he collided with shortstop Gunnar Henderson while both were diving for a grounder behind second base.
The Orioles and 29-year-old Mateo avoided a salary arbitration hearing by agreeing to a one-year, $3.55 million contract last month. The deal also includes a $5.5 million team option for 2026, which could increase by up to $500,000 based on his plate appearances in 2025, with $125,000 added at thresholds of 460, 480, 500, and 520.
