Baltimore (AP) - If the second half of 2024 is a reality check for the Baltimore Orioles - their first real mediocrity as they become contenders again, the start of the season is near crisis.

The young Baltimore team barely failed when they won 101 games in 2023, but now the Orioles are aware of what the humbler side of baseball is like.

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"I think we're becoming more familiar than we want (adversity) than we want," General Manager Mike Elias said before his game against Kansas City on Friday night.

Elias met with reporters to resolve his team's 12-18 record in April. The Orioles are not only at the last spot in Al East, but also at the worst difference in the American League.

The young core of the frightening batsman early last year struggled hard in 2025. Elias has reason to think it's a temporary bondage, but another major culprit this year - the collapse of the starting rotation - could be difficult to resolve.

Zach Eflin, Grayson Rodriguez and Albert Suarez are on the injury list, and Dean Kremer starts the 7.04 ERA on Friday. Tomoyuki Sugano is good, but Charlie Morton's era was 9.45 and will now work in the bullpen. Kyle Gibson allowed home runs to four of the top five batsmen on Tuesday in his first major league game of the season.

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"It's hard to compete with that level of injury, but other than that, they started poorly and that's my responsibility. I'm responsible for baseball surgery," Erias said. "When we start a year with poor record, that's my responsibility."

Elias opened up his second speculation in the offseason when the Orioles lost Corbin Burnes' free agent who signed a one-year contract with Sugano, Morton and Gibson. A year-long transaction is often considered safe - even if they are not doing well, they will expire soon. But Baltimore has invested more than $33 million in trio, so if they do not perform well as a group, it would constitute a real resource abuse.

To be fair, Rodriguez, Eflin, Sugano, Kremer and Povich could have been useful - Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells expect to return sometime during the elbow surgery - but Eflin and Rodriguez's injuries forced Morton and Gibson to force Morton and Gibson to produce, so there's not yet.

Baltimore's 5.47 ERA entered Friday, ranking 29th out of 30 teams, down from Miami's 5.89.

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Earlier this week, the Orioles did score two of three from the first place in the New York Yankees, but even then, a one-on-one-on-one single victory would hit a 15-3 loss. Due to poor pitching, Baltimore simply has too many games in finding itself behind.

"No one is happy with how we've performed so far. We expect more from ourselves," said manager Brandon Hyde. "I talk to Mike many times a day. We're at least not satisfied. We know our team can be better than us."

Erias said he still has confidence in Hyde.

“When things go well – sometimes they sometimes have that – and then when we get a failure, that’s also important in this job and my job, and it can be consistent with your approach,” Erias said. “He’s doing that.”

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Eflin (LAT strain) and rescuer Andrew Kittrech (knee) are expected to hold a minor league rehabilitation game on Sunday, and Elias said Rodriguez (inflammatory elbow) may be able to throw by the end of the month.

“We all work very hard and we have confidence in this very talented group,” Erias said. “Step by step, we will make people healthier and we will enable people to perform more by their own norms. If we can use players to solve some problems, then we will work.”

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