Nearly 7 years between MLB outings? No problem for dominant Suárez

BALTIMORE -- Spring Training surprise stories can sometimes carry over to the regular season, and the Orioles were hopeful that could be the case with Albert Suárez, a 34-year-old Venezuelan right-hander signed to a Minor League deal last September.

“From his first bullpen [session] on, he opened our eyes from the stuff that was coming out of his hand,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “You see 96 [mph], and you see him throw his fastball by guys with life -- and then the secondary stuff he was throwing for strikes also -- and he kept doing it every five days. We were excited about it.”

After Wednesday, it’s easy to see why.

Called up from Triple-A Norfolk to make an emergency fill-in start, Suárez was dominant over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the Orioles’ 4-2 walk-off win over the Twins at Camden Yards. He scattered three hits and recorded four strikeouts without issuing a walk.

It was Suárez’s first MLB appearance since Sept. 26, 2017, and his first start since Sept. 23, 2016, with both of those outings coming for the Giants. He later spent three seasons pitching in Japan (2019-21) and two in Korea (2022-23).

Suárez started in place of righty Tyler Wells, who was put on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday due to right elbow inflammation.

“I think I enjoyed this moment more than the first time I got called up. It’s amazing for me, and a good feeling to be here,” said Suárez, who had a 4.51 ERA in 40 games (12 starts) for San Francisco across '16 and '17. “I worked hard for it. I think when you work hard and you have faith in something, it happens.”

Although Suárez didn’t have the most impressive stats in the spring or early in the Triple-A season -- a 5.17 ERA in five Grapefruit League appearances (three starts) and a 5.87 ERA in three outings (one start) for Norfolk -- his overpowering four-seam fastball created intrigue. Suárez revamped his heater during his time away from the big leagues, and it now sits in the 95-97 mph range.

On Wednesday, Suárez threw 47 four-seamers among his 75 pitches (50 strikes), using it to induce 11 of his 14 whiffs. It was the 14th instance in MLB this season in which a pitcher generated 11-plus whiffs with a four-seamer, and it’s the first time an Orioles pitcher has done so since Keegan Akin had 12 vs. the White Sox on May 30, 2021.

Suárez became the first O’s pitcher to toss 5 2/3 or more scoreless innings in his team debut since Jeremy Hellickson blanked Kansas City for seven frames on Aug. 2, 2017.

From the start, Suárez was in control. He retired 15 of the 18 Twins batters he faced over the first five innings, and no runner made it past second. He stayed calm and composed, proving there weren’t any nerves for his MLB return.

“You couldn’t tell, if he had any,” first baseman Ryan Mountcastle said.

Everybody in the Orioles’ clubhouse was excited to see Suárez, who was a mature presence around the team this spring. When he arrived Wednesday morning, he walked around the clubhouse to greet various players.

Suárez was popular after the game, too.

“He was nothing short of amazing. He came out there and handled his business very professional. I loved what I saw,” said center fielder Cedric Mullins, who ended the contest with a walk-off two-run homer. “It takes a lot of perseverance, takes a lot of commitment and dedication to do what he did today.”

Hyde credited Baltimore’s pro scouting department for identifying Suárez as a pitcher who could potentially help a team that went 101-61 and won the American League East last season. It’s always important to have depth, and the O’s need it for their rotation with Wells, Kyle Bradish (right UCL sprain) and John Means (left forearm strain) all on the injured list.

Between Suárez’s final appearance for San Francisco and his debut for Baltimore, six years and 204 days passed. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the most recent player to appear in a game for the Orioles after that much time was left-hander Danny Boone, who pitched for them on Sept. 16, 1990 vs. the Blue Jays -- seven years and 351 days after his previous MLB outing.

It shouldn’t take nearly as long for Suárez to take a big league mound again. Hyde said he envisions the righty getting additional starts as the Orioles move forward without three key members of their pitching staff.

Suárez will be ready to go, as he was on short notice Wednesday. After arriving in Baltimore the night before -- and still ensuring he got his full eight hours of sleep -- he delivered one of the more memorable team debuts in recent memory.

“Like I said, when you have faith and you’ve been working so hard to get back and then it happens, all I can think of is, ‘Keep working hard,’” Suárez said, “and think, ‘Good things are going to happen.’”