Britton ruptures Achilles, expected to miss 4-6 months

The Baltimore Orioles received terrible news about Zach Britton on Wednesday, as the left-handed closer ruptured his Achilles on Tuesday while working out in California.

An exact timetable will be determined after Britton undergoes surgery, but he's expected to miss a minimum of four-to-six months, a source told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

The injury was to Britton's right Achilles, according to MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli, who added that surgery is scheduled for Thursday.

"Felt like something punched me in the leg," Britton told Ghiroli of the injury. "I went down. It was probably the most painful thing I've ever experienced."

Britton, who missed two months last season with a forearm issue, was progressing toward a normal offseason schedule and had just one more appointment due for his forearm before injuring his Achilles, Ghiroli added.

The 29-year-old reliever was set to become a free agent upon the conclusion of the 2018 season, and was also receiving trade interest from multiple teams. He was nearly dealt to the Houston Astros at last season's trade deadline before the Orioles reportedly killed the deal.

Britton has been one of the most dominant closers in the majors since converting to the role in 2014. He's saved 135 games since that time and owns a 1.58 ERA as a reliever.

In 2016, the two-time All-Star finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting after saving 47 games and allowing just four earned runs in 67 innings.

Orioles executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette told Ghiroli that Brad Brach and Mychal Givens are a "capable combo" who could fill in at closer in Britton's absence.