The Orioles used veteran starter out of the bullpen last night when s first start of the year was shorter than hoped, and it seems thatll be the continued plan for Morton at least in the short term. Manager Brandon Hyde announced today that Morton will pitch in relief for the time being ( ). The Os havent closed the door on the 41-year-old returning to a starting role, but theyre hoping a change in role can help get him back on track. Its a disappointing outcome for both the team and for Morton personally. The 18-year big league veteran signed Jacoby Ellsbury Jersey with the Os on a one-year, $15MM contract over the winter. Morton was one of several one-year acquisitions for the Orioles rotation, joining and Gibson in that regard. Baltimores baseball operations staff hoped that the infusion of aging veterans, paired with steps forward from young pitchers like and , would help them overcome the lo s of ace , who signed with the D-backs in free agency. Virtually nothing has gone right for the Orioles staff in 2025, however. Morton is hardly alone in terms of struggles, but his have been the most glaring. Hes appeared in seven games five starts, one bulk appearance following an opener, and last nights mop-up work and been tattooed for a 9.45 ERA in 26 2/3 frames. His 15.2% walk rate is a career-worst, while his 18.8% strikeout rate is his lowest since 2015. Mortons typically strong ground-ball rate has evaporated; hes sitting on a career-low 36.7% mark and has averaged a career-worst 2.03 homers per nine innings pitched. Hes also displayed career-worst marks in average exit velocity (91.6 mph), opponents barrel rate (11.1%) and hard-hit rate (48.9%). The rest of Baltimores rotation hasnt been quite as bad, but its still been a me s overall. has been torched for a 7.04 ERA while working with career-worst strikeout and swinging-strike rates. Povich was terrific his last time out but still has an ERA of 5.04. Sugano boasts a sharp 3.00 ERA, but its hard to see that continuing when he has the fourth-lowest strikeout rate among all qualified big league pitchers. Injuries have hit Baltimores staff hard. has been out since mid-April due to a lat strain. Rodriguez initially hit the IL with elbow inflammation but has since been diagnosed with a lat strain of his own; he was recently moved over to the 60-day injured list. , , , and have all yet to pitch this season. Rogers dislocated his kneecap in January. McDermott suffered a lat strain in February. Suarezs shoulder flared up in March. Hes now on the 60-day IL, too. Bradish and Wells had UCL surgeries performed just days apart last June. Theres little recourse for the Orioles at the moment. Rookie made his MLB debut earlier this month but has struggled in both of his outings (6.23 ERA, eight walks in 8 2/3 innings). Gibson made his season debut last night and was promptly shelled for nine runs in 3 2/3 frames. Triple-A starters , and have posted results that range from underwhelming to ugly. Right now, the hope will be that Povich can build on his last solid outing in tonights series finale versus the Yankees. Baltimore has announced that Kremer, Sugano and Gibson will start this weekend, in that order, against a Royals club that has struggled to score runs in 2025. Baltimore is off again next Monday. That gives them the short-term luxury of skipping the fifth spot this next time through the rotation, but the Os only have one off-day from May 6-28, so thats a short-term reprieve. Thurman Munson Jersey