The Orioles announced that theyve placed righty on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 29, due to lower back discomfort. Right-hander has been recalled from Triple-A Norfolk in his place. first reported that Eflin was headed to the IL but added that a trade of the veteran right-hander remains firmly po sible even with the IL placement. Its a blow to the right-handers trade stock, but he could still wind up on the move given that hes expected back before the end Nikola Jokic Jersey of the season. Its been a season to forget for Eflin, whos already mi sed time due to lat and lower back injuries. Hes pitched to an ugly 5.93 ERA with a 16.4% strikeout rate second-lowest of his career but a terrific 4.2% walk rate. Eflin was sitting on an ERA just over 4.00 into mid-June, with much of the damage against him coming in an eight-run meltdown early in the season. However, hes been absolutely torched for 23 runs in his past 18 1/3 innings (11.29 ERA) in five starts surrounding the back injury that sent him to the injured list in late June. Eflin is being paid $18MM in the final season of a three-year, $40MM deal originally signed with Tampa Bay. The Rays traded him to the Orioles last summer in a deal that brought prospects , and to the Rays. (Etzel was in exchange for catcher earlier this week.) Eflin was quite good in the first two seasons of the contract, pitching to a combined 3.54 ERA in 343 innings including a 2.60 earned run average down the stretch for Baltimore last season. Hes now been on the injured list four times since the Orioles acquired him last summer. Given this years struggles and the current injury, the Os will surely have to pay down a notable portion of the $5.71MM still owed on this years salary. Paul Millsap Jersey