Trey Gibson is joining the show in Yankee Stadium!
With starters Trevor Rogers (illness) and Dean Kremer (quadriceps) on the 15-day injured list, speculation arose that Baltimore’s No. 3 ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, had a big league debut on the horizon.
The normal rest period shortened by Baltimore’s doubleheader against the Houston Astros put the Orioles in need of a starter for Sunday’s match versus the New York Yankees.
They will call upon Gibson to fill that role, manager Craig Albernaz confirmed ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game. The 23-year-old right-hander was originally scheduled to start for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides on Sunday, but plans changed when he joined Baltimore’s taxi squad over the weekend.
Gibson signed with the O’s as an undrafted free agent back in August 2023. In just under three years since then, he has climbed to the top of the ranks, including the 2025 Orioles Minor League Pitcher of the Year award, which he earned in September 2025.
Gibson started the 2025 season in High-A ball and in June, he was given a promotion to the Double-A Chesapeake Baysox, where he allowed nine earned runs in 10 starts for the squad. He earned a call to Norfolk in August of last season.
In six starts for the Tides this season, Gibson has accrued a 4.01 ERA, allowing 11 earned runs through 24 ⅔ innings pitched. He holds the second-lowest ERA among Norfolk pitchers with at least three starts, sitting behind Brandon Young’s 1.08.
Young marked the last Oriole to start in his MLB debut, allowing three runs in four innings during a 9-5 win over the Cincinnati Reds on April 19, 2025.
Gibson will have his work cut out for him as he faces a Yankees squad that has scorched a league-leading 50 home runs on the season. The rookie pitcher has allowed eight long balls in his last 13 starts for Norfolk.
Since Gibson is only a member of the taxi squad, Baltimore will be required to make a corresponding move ahead of Sunday’s match, which they may have more clarity for after Saturday’s transactions.
Afternoon roster activity from the Birds saw a pair of veteran right-handed relievers, Tyler Wells and Albert Suarez, exit the big leagues. Wells is being optioned to Triple-A while Suarez is being designated for assignment for the second time in a week.
Many speculated the team could be sending Wells to Norfolk with the intention of stretching him back out into a starter given Baltimore’s severe lack of depth in the rotation, but Albernaz quickly silenced that chatter. Albernaz told reporters that the 31-year-old will remain a reliever in the minors before making his expected return to the O’s, per The Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka.
Wells is sitting at 3.44 ERA through 14 relief appearances on the season. He had gone scoreless through his five outings before allowing a run on three hits to New York in Friday night’s contest.
For Suarez, Baltimore could elect the same route that saw the veteran opt into free agency before re-signing with the team on a minor league deal on April 26, when he was last designated for assignment.
The 36-year-old also allowed a run to the Yankees on Friday, marking five out of six relief appearances in 2026 where Suarez has allowed the other team to score. He also walked four batters in the series opener against Baltimore’s division foe.
In correspondence, the O’s are recalling right-handed pitcher Nick Raquet from Triple-A and reinstating left-handed pitcher Dietrich Enns from the injured list. Some bullpen help after the team’s relief unit allowed 23 runs in the past seven games.
The ‘pen also lost closer Ryan Helsley, who is being placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Albernaz reassured fans that the imaging came back positive and the injury should not be terribly serious. Though, with one of its best arms sidelined, the bullpen needs all the help it can get.
Raquet, 30, was acquired by the team in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals back in early April. The former third-round pick allowed three runs on three hits in two appearances before being optioned to Triple-A.
Raquet has not allowed a run in the minors since April 10, accumulating nine strikeouts in that span (1.5 per game).
Enns rejoins Baltimore’s bullpen as the third lefty in the unit after a left foot infection forced a short stint on the injured list, which began on April 6. The 34-year-old began his rehab assignment on April 18, allowing four runs in five relief appearances for the Tides.
The presence of another veteran left-handed arm is simply too valuable to pass up for general manager Mike Elias and company.
Baltimore’s pitching staff will continue to undergo change as they make room for Gibson ahead of Sunday at 1:35 p.m. The collateral may be left-handed starter Cade Povich, who allowed five earned runs on seven hits to New York in Friday’s start.
Regardless, expect the O’s roster to foster more movement as they continue to manage a number of pitching injuries.
