The Baltimore Orioles have called up starting pitcher Dean Kremer to start Monday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Orioles surprisingly omitted Kremer from the Opening Day roster to begin the season. However, with the season ending injury to Zach Eflin, the club needs Kremer in the rotation now.
The reason for Kremer’s exclusion from the 26-man roster can easily be linked to the offseason transactions of the Orioles when they retained Eflin and acquired Chris Bassitt in free agency and Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays. Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish were locks to make the rotation given their 2025 performance.
Kremer had been a reliable option for the Orioles prior to his demotion to begin the season. He’s been with the club since 2020 after being included in the Manny Machado trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’s played in 126 games for the Orioles, pitching for a 4.26 ERA. While being an unspectacular option, Kremer has proven to be a good innings eater in his career.
Promotion Back to the Majors Raises Service Time Questions
GettyDean Kremer’s promotion could solidify his fate with the organization.
Kremer’s promotion suddenly creates a dialogue about his future with the organization. Coming into 2026, he had four years and 112 days of service time. If he remains on the roster for 60 days, Kremer will no longer be able to be optioned to the minor leagues without his consent. He would also become a free agent after the 2027 season. However, if he does not reach that 60 day threshold, the Orioles would gain a year of service time and still be able to option him next season.
With the Orioles current rotation, they could theoretically go to a four man rotation after Kremer’s start because of their schedule. They have two off days remaining this month, so a four man rotation is not out of the question. Considering Kremer’s service time situation, it would not be shocking at all to see this happen. However, it would be unfortunate for Kremer as he nothing to prove in the minor leagues.
Cade Povich Back Down to the Minor Leagues
GettyThe Orioles demoted Povich after his start against the San Francisco Giants.
In a corresponding move, the Orioles demoted Cade Povich after his start against the San Francisco Giants. Povich has had a decent season so far in 2026 despite the roster move. In two appearances, he has a 2.19 ERA across 12.1 innings. It’s unclear what plans the Orioles have for the former top 100 prospect.
In his first two seasons in the majors, Povich has been a massive disappointment. Over 40 appearances and 37 starts, he has a 5.02 ERA. While his fielding independent pitching is 4.39, Povich has struggled with home runs and walks. His home runs per nine innings is 1.32 and his walks per nine is 3.52 for his career.
Perhaps the Orioles are seeing how Kremer performs in his major league season debut before deciding how to proceed with Povich. Given his encouraging performances so far this year, Povich should be back up on the 26-man roster at some point this season.
Baltimore Orioles Call Up Starter After Surprising Demotion