The Orioles placed Suarez on the 15-day injured list Sunday due to right shoulder inflammation.

EDGE Analysis

Baltimore called up right-hander Matt Bowman from Triple-A Norfolk to join the bullpen as a replacement for Suarez. The veteran righty displayed diminished velocity in his season debut Friday, when he was charged with two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out two across 2.2 innings in a 8-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Suarez will be eligible for activation as soon as April 13.

GM Mike Elias announced Sunday that Suarez will begin the season working out of the bullpen, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.

EDGE Analysis

Cade Povich won the battle to be Baltimore's No. 5 starter, so Suarez will open the campaign in relief. The right-hander should again work as a swingman in 2025 but may have a difficult time replicating the 24 regular-season starts he made last season. Suarez made eight relief appearances in addition to those starts and finished the regular season with a 3.70 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 108:43 K:BB across 133.2 innings.

Suarez picked up the win in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Tigers after allowing one run on four hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

Suarez is battling with Cade Povich for Baltimore's final rotation spot to begin the year in Grayson Rodriguez's (elbow) stead, and Sunday's effort should help his case of beginning 2025 as a starter. After giving up seven runs across 4.1 innings in exhibition play during February, Suarez has bounced back with a 2.84 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 12 strikeouts over 12.2 frames in March. It's possible the veteran right-hander gets one more spring start before the Orioles make a final decision between Suarez and Povich.

Manager Brandon Hyde said Saturday that Suarez is currently positioned as Baltimore's No. 6 starting pitcher, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander is a strong bet to make the Opening Day roster since he's out of minor-league options, but he could be headed to the bullpen rather than the starting rotation. The Orioles have Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez, Charlie Morton, Dean Kremer and Tomoyuki Sugano poised to begin the campaign as their five-man unit, with Cade Povich coming in at the No. 7 spot. Suarez started in 24 of his 32 regular-season appearances last season and is on track to work as a swingman again in 2025.

Suarez is scheduled to start Saturday's Grapefruit League opener against the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Suarez made 24 starts among his 32 appearances last season, pitching to a respectable 3.70 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over 133.2 total innings for Baltimore. He struggled to a 6.20 ERA in September and was left off the wild-card roster, but the 35-year-old righty will have a chance to return to the rotation mix in his second season back in the majors following an extended stint overseas between Japan and Korea. While lacking in terms of strikeouts, Suarez will be a streaming candidate against lesser opponents if he's making regular starts for the Orioles, which doesn't seem far fetched given the question marks on the starting staff.

Suarez is not on the Orioles' American League Wild Card Series roster.

EDGE Analysis

Suarez is a candidate to potentially get a start in the ALDS, should the Orioles advance, but the club will need just a max of three starters during the wild-card series. Matt Bowman was also left off the Orioles' roster, with Colin Selby and Cade Povich capturing the final two spots in the bullpen.

Suarez (9-7) earned the win Sunday, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk over six innings against the Twins. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

Suarez closed out his 2024 campaign with a quality start, allowing a couple of solo homers but limiting the Twins to just three additional baserunners as he held on for his ninth victory of the season. It was a nice bounce back for Suarez who had allowed eight earned runs over his previous two starts spanning 8.2 innings. However, after having allowed just eight home runs through his first 27 appearances (109 IP), Suarez has allowed nine over his last five starts (24.2 IP). The propensity for giving up the long ball will be a concern as the Orioles set their postseason rotation.

Suarez (8-7) took the loss Sunday against Detroit, allowing four earned runs on five hits and one walk in five innings. He struck out six.

EDGE Analysis

Suarez served up three solo home runs -- two to Kerry Carpenter and a third to Spencer Torkelson. Even after tossing six innings of one-run ball against Boston back on Sep. 10, Suarez has been highly volatile in September. The 34-year-old veteran owns an ugly 7.23 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and a 19:7 K:BB in 18.2 innings this month, ballooning his ERA from 3.14 to 3.74. The right-hander will be difficult to trust in his final start of the season, scheduled for next weekend against the Twins.

Suarez (8-6) took the loss Tuesday against San Francisco, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks over 3.1 innings. He struck out three.

EDGE Analysis

Suarez got off to a rough start, allowing a first-inning homer to Mike Yastrzemski on his second pitch of the game before the Giants tacked on two more runs in the second. The 34-year-old Suarez came into the day with a 2.43 ERA over his previous seven outings. His ERA now sits at 3.60 with a 1.32 WHIP and 98:41 K:BB across 122.2 innings this season. Suarez will look to get back on track in his next start, currently lined up for this weekend at home against the Tigers.

Suarez (8-5) earned the win Tuesday at Boston, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out eight.

EDGE Analysis

After a poor six-run outing in his last start against the White Sox on Sept. 4, the 34-year-old stymied the Red Sox, generating an incredible 21 whiffs en route to his eight Ks. Despite having three of the four hits he allowed go for doubles, Suarez managed to collect his sixth quality start, marking his fourth in his last six starts. Overall, the veteran right-hander has now pitched to a 3.39 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 95:39 K:BB across 119.1 innings this season. He is line to make his next appearance against the Giants at home next week.