Cade Povich (elbow) to make Double-A rehab start

Povich will remain stationed on the doorstep of the majors as extra rotation depth for Baltimore after wrapping up a minor league rehab assignment. The 26-year-old lefty was out with elbow inflammation since early May. The positive news here is that he managed to avoid surgery and remains an option for the Orioles heading towards the second half.

Povich met with Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday and received a cortisone injection. The left-hander will likely need to throw a few bullpens and then make rehab starts, but it does appear — for now — that Povich has avoided a season-ending injury.

Povich has been sidelined since May 7th with what was originally described as forearm discomfort but then became elbow inflammation. The fact that he visited a surgeon renowned for performing Tommy John procedures isn’t great news, but it seems that the course of action right now is to address the current inflammation with an injection and then evaluate him again after the inflammation goes down. We should know more about Povich’s potential need for surgery in a week or two.

We have yet to hear the results of the MRI exam that Povich underwent on Thursday, but him landing on the injured list was always the most likely scenario. No word yet on how long the Orioles expect him to be shelved for. Trey Gibson was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk to take his spot in the Orioles’ rotation for the time being.

The 26-year-old southpaw was lifted from Thursday’s start against the Marlins in the third inning due to discomfort in his forearm. Even if there ends up being no structural damage, it seems likely that Povich is heading for a stint on the injured list. It’s yet another blow to an Orioles’ rotation that has been ravaged by injuries this season.

Povich threw 27 of his 43 pitches for strikes, so the command wasn’t an issue here, but he threw 75 percent fastballs, which is a good indication that something wasn’t feeling right when he was gripping or spinning other pitches. We’ll await word from the Orioles on the severity of the injury, but their pitching staff can’t afford another long-term absence.

The Yankees jumped all over Povich here. They had five runs over the first two innings, including home runs by José Caballero and Ben Rice, and rarely looked uncomfortable in the box. He tried to start this game out by going fastball heavy, but the Yankee bats found no problem lacing it all over the field. He entered this game with a 2.19 ERA and left with a 4.41 ERA. Also, he’s struck out just 11 batters and walked five through 16 1/3 innings so far this season. He’s scheduled to face the Marlins in Miami next time out.

As anticipated, Povich will start on Friday evening against the Yankees in place of Trevor Rogers (illness). The 26-year-old southpaw has looked sharp in two appearances (one start) for the O’s this season, posting a 2.19 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and a 7/3 K/BB ratio across 12 1/3 innings. With Brandon Young struggling, Povich has the added motivation of pitching to stick in the team’s rotation once Rogers is ready to return. He’s worth a look in deeper mixed leagues.

With Trevor Rogers (illness) on the injured list, Povich will have the opportunity to make at least a couple of starts in the Orioles’ rotation. With as well as he pitched in his start, he could make a case to stick around even longer if he continues to dominate. He’s at least worth a short-term look in deeper mixed leagues.

Since being sent back to Triple-A on April 13th, Povich has allowed two runs on eight hits in 11 2/3 innings while striking out 15 and walking two. Baltimore’s starting pitchers rank 22nd in baseball in ERA and 21st in strikeout rate, so they may opt to make a change if this continues into May.