SARASOTA, Fla. — John Means, who etched himself into Orioles history by throwing a no-hitter in 2021, is heading off to Cleveland to try to revive his career after undergoing a second Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery.

Means, who is expected to miss at least half of the 2025 season as he rehabs, signed with the Guardians, a source confirmed to The Baltimore Banner. The deal includes a club option for 2026 and is pending a physical.

The Athletic was the first to report the news.

Although the last three years of his tenure with the Orioles were marked by elbow injuries, Means, an 11th-round pick in 2011, was one of the brightest spots during the most trying times of Baltimore’s rebuild. He debuted in 2018 and established himself as a major leaguer in 2019, pitching to a 3.60 ERA and making the All-Star team. He also finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year voting. In 2021, he threw his no-hitter against the Mariners, the 10th in franchise history and first solo no-hitter since Jim Palmer in 1969.

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As the tides started to turn in Baltimore in 2022, with then-top prospects Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson making their debuts, Means wasn’t able to be a part of it. He got his first Tommy John surgery in 2022, and a back strain delayed his return until September 2023.

He looked strong in four starts, even flirting with a no-hitter in one of them, but he was held out of the playoffs with elbow tightness. It was precautionary, the team said at the time, but it delayed his offseason work and he entered spring training behind the rest of the starters. He was ready in May, but, four starts in, he exited with elbow discomfort. Further testing revealed the need for a second Tommy John surgery, ending his season in June.

As an impending free agent last season, he knew then that he might never take the mound for the Orioles again.

“It’s been special,” Means said last year when asked about his time with the organization. “I’ve been through so much with this organization, it’s been 10 years. I’ve lived a lot of life. I wasn’t expecting this when I got drafted back in 2014, and to have all this experience and all this time, I can’t wait to use that down the road. This organization has given me a lot of wisdom.”

Means made 73 starts throughout his seven major league seasons for the Orioles, pitching to a 3.68 ERA.