After surgery and setbacks, Orioles’ John Means learned to smile through tough times

CINCINNATI — The most motivating — and most difficult — part of John Means’ recovery was how well the Orioles were playing.

Of course, he wanted the Orioles to win, and as they popped in 2022 and exploded in 2023, he was proud of his teammates who also survived the rebuild and in awe of the “kids” who arrived to transform Baltimore into a winner.

But it saddened him not to be there — on the field, on the mound — with them and contributing. Means was the Orioles’ best starting pitcher during the rebuild when they were the majors’ worst team, losing 108 games in 2019 and 110 in 2021. But shortly after he underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction, the Orioles became a contender and haven’t looked back.

Through surgery, a long recovery and multiple setbacks along the way, neither is Means.

“I had some tough times,” Means said. “But at the end of the day, I’m pretty content with where life’s taken me. I believe this is the plan for me. I’m just going to trust in that.”

Two years and one week ago, Means went under the knife to repair the torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. Saturday, he will take the mound for the Orioles and make his 2024 debut.

“That’s the goal, right, is to pitch for a winning ballclub?” Means said. “This team, it’s the culture and the way of how they’re playing, this is the future. I’m looking forward to it.”

About four weeks after Means had surgery, the Orioles promoted catcher Adley Rutschman. From 2018, the year Means debuted, until the day before Rutschman debuted, the Orioles went 194-392 for a winning percentage of .331. Since Rutschman’s debut, they’re 189-127 for a winning percentage of .598.

For the latter stretch, Means was on the roster for only 19 of those games after he joined the club in mid-September 2023.

“It’s a lot more fun this way, a lot more attention on the games,” Means said. “A lot of the fans are great. It’s been fun to see Baltimore really shine and the city to have this team playing really well.”

The Orioles’ success hasn’t taken Means by surprise, though. In September 2019, as the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated another National League West title after beating Baltimore at Camden Yards, Means turned to a teammate — he can’t remember who anymore — and predicted it wouldn’t be long before the Orioles were doing the same.

“Give us three years, and that’ll be us,” Means recalls. “You see who’s coming up. You see Adley and Gunnar and all these guys. You see our future stars. I think I knew it was coming, but it’s really fun to see where it is now.”

At 31, Means is one of the Orioles’ oldest players. The youth movement is alive and well in Baltimore with youngsters Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser and Jordan Westburg leading the way, but Means doesn’t feel like the grizzled veteran or the adult among children.

“It’s because of how mature these guys are. I just feel like one of the kids,” he said. “It is fun kind of seeing these kids grow and seeing them get that experience under their belt and who they’re becoming. It’s been great. Trust me, these young guys don’t need my help. They’ve got it all figured out it seems like.”

Means said 2022 was especially challenging as the Orioles climbed out of the cellar to contend for a wild-card spot. The most dominant of the many feelings Means experienced that year was motivation. Tommy John surgery requires 12 to 18 months of recovery, and he was motivated to get back as soon as possible in 2023 and be better than ever.

“That first year was tough,” he said. “Seeing the team really break through and becoming really good in that 2022 year. Obviously, it’s not tough because I wanted the team to win, but tough not being a part of it. I really tried to force it and force it. It was like, ‘I’m going to be be I possibly can.’”

There was nothing wrong with that mindset, but the pressure he put on himself made his first setback even harder to deal with. Last May, he strained the teres major muscle in the scapula area of his upper back while doing a nonthrowing-related drill at the team’s complex in Florida. It ultimately delayed his return by about two months.

He came back in September and recorded a 2.66 ERA in four starts, including taking a no-hit bid into the seventh inning in Cleveland. Most important, he mostly looked like his old self — the crafty southpaw who was an All-Star in 2019, threw a no-hitter in Seattle and started opening day in 2021 and 2022.

But a second speed bump hindered Means, as his elbow flared up during a live bullpen session before the American League Division Series. He missed the playoffs, the Orioles were swept and he entered another offseason injured.

The Orioles decided to start Means’ offseason throwing program a month later so he could fully recover, but that delayed his return, causing him to miss the first five weeks of the regular season. His minor league rehabilitation assignment wasn’t as sharp as expected, but he ended it with seven shutout innings Sunday to make it clear his spot on Baltimore’s roster is as a starter.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Friday before the Orioles’ series opener against the Cincinnati Reds that he’s been impressed with how Means dealt with the past two years.

“It’s not easy to do,” said Hyde, who added the Orioles won’t have any pitch or innings limits on Means. “You feel for those guys that have to sit back and wait patiently and watch. I thought Meansy’s handled it really, really well. … He really wanted to contribute September last year, and he did. He pitched fantastic. But had a little bit of a setback and got pushed back this season.

“Hopefully he can do what he did in September for us last year.”

The setbacks last year are what caused Means to lean more into his faith as a Christian. He credits that development in his life for how he’s managed the challenges he’s faced, giving him a better mindset every time he shows up at the office.

“After the setback happened, I was pretty down,” Means said. “But my faith kept me through it, and I’ve really come to Jesus this past year about my plan and where I want to be and where he wants me to be.

“It’s helped me really put a smile on my face every day I come here.”