Orioles dealing with a series of injuries to open spring training
The Orioles announced that right-hander Kyle Bradish will start the season on the injured list due to a sprained UCL in his pitching elbow.
Bradish was one of four players that Orioles general manager Mike Elias announced will miss time in some capacity.
Bradish received platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow and will begin a throwing program on Friday. Elias told reporters that “everything is pointing in the right direction” for his injured righty.
The 27-year-old went went 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA over 30 starts, breaking out last season for the playoff bound Orioles. Prior to his injury, Bradish and Corbin Burnes were expected to lead the top of the Orioles rotation.
“Pitching is a dangerous business nowadays,” Elias said. “You never like to hear anybody have elbow or shoulder or wrist injuries or what have you. There are a lot of people who have [PRP injections] and never get surgery, and rest and other treatments do the trick. So, hopefully, that’s where we’re at with this one.”
American League Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson is dealing with an oblique injury, he is still expected to be ready for Opening Day. Elias described his injury as “really typical” for early on in spring training.
Left-hander John Means is a month behind other pitchers in camp is not expected to be ready for the start of the season. Means is recovering from an elbow injury that forced him to miss the AL Division Series last season.
“He’s in a good spot,” Elias said of Means, who underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2022. “It’s just about a guy that had a lot going on with his elbow last year. Getting that totally in the rearview mirror before we clear him to go.”
With Bradish and Means out for the Orioles, there is now two openings in the Orioles rotation. The club has some in-house depth in the likes of Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin.
“Wells and Irvin were going to be a big part of this team no matter what,” Elias said. “If it ends up that we’re starting with Kyle and Means or others not in the rotation at the beginning of the year, it puts [Wells and Irvin] squarely in that group.”
They could pivot to the free agent market and target Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell. Both lefties markets remain unsettled with camps now underway.
Other starters who should see competition in camp for a rotation spot include Bruce Zimmerman, Jonathan Heasley, Seth Johnson, Cade Povich and Chayce McDermott.
The Orioles also announced that top catching prospect Samuel Basallo has a stress fracture in his right elbow and will not start throwing until April. He will see time at DH this spring, but will not return behind the dish until April.
