Kyle Bradish left yesterday’s game after five innings due to soreness in his right elbow, and Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) that more will be known once Bradish is tested. Bradish had allowed two earned runs over five innings and 74 pitches against the Phillies, but “he came to us and said his elbow was bothering him, so we’re going to continue testing on that….He had to come out of the game after that inning.,” Hyde said.
Any kind of elbow injury is a cause for concern, although Bradish’s situation is particularly dire as he was sidelined with a sprained UCL earlier this year. That previous injury started early in Spring Training, so Bradish’s season debut was delayed until May 2 as he had to get healthy and start his spring training all over again.
Considering there were early concerns that Bradish might need Tommy John surgery, the early May return was a big relief for both the right-hander and the Orioles, and Bradish’s solid performance on the mound continued to quell any fears before last night. Bradish has a 2.75 ERA in eight starts and 39 1/3 innings, and is among the league tops in key categories such as strikeout rate (32.5%), hard-hit ball rate (28.6%) and grounder rate (56 %). While his walk rate fell below average, Bradish looked like he was continuing the front-rotation form he showed during his 2023 offseason.
Bradish may have dodged a bullet once again if his elbow hurts, and discomfort was inevitable given the circumstances after his start to the season. That said, the O’s have taken a strict approach to Bradish’s usage — he’s gotten the traditional four days off between starts only once, and has otherwise had five or more days off between all of his other starts. Before yesterday, Bradish’s start was June 8, so he had five full days off before facing the Phillies.
Even if the tests come back clean, the Orioles may consider placing Bradish on the 15-day disabled list anyway as a precaution. Baltimore has an off day on Monday, but it’s hitting a 13-game stretch in as many days, so Bradish’s absence will stretch an already injury-depleted rotation. John Kusho (Tommy John surgery) and Tyler Wells (UCL surgery) both lost for the season, season Dean Kremer was on IL for about four weeks with tight triceps. Kremer is set to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment on Sunday, so he could be an option to return to the rotation in the next week or two.
Even with all these injuries, the Orioles still played one of the better rotations, and had enough depth to use a six-man rotation to help handle everyone’s innings. If Bradish is to miss time, Baltimore has five starts Corbin Burns, Grayson Rodriguez, Cole Irvin, Albert Suarezagain Kade Povich, and more depth for the upper minors. (The team added to that depth with its acquisition of Levi Stoudt two days ago.)
Of course, losing Bradish for even a short period of time is a blow to a Baltimore team fighting for first place in the AL East, and a long-term injury will derail the Orioles’ World Series aspirations. The IO’s were already expected to look for both rotation and bullpen help at the deadline, and the high demand for starters could result in more expensive deals.
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