Orioles Suffer Brutal Blow To Their Starting Rotation

A big hit to the Baltimore Orioles starting rotation was revealed on Saturday, as the team has announced that Kyle Bradish has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a strain of his ulnar collateral ligament after leaving Friday night's game. That is an ominous diagnosis, as this sort of thing can be a precursor to Tommy John surgery.

The Orioles placed starting pitcher Kyle Bradish on the 15-day IL with a right UCL sprain.@Ken_Rosenthal has more on the impact this has on Baltimore's starting rotation ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/aKO2aFMWme

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 15, 2024

Bradish missed the entire month of April recovering from the same UCL issue. He's been tremendous in his 8 games since returning, posting a 2.75 ERA and 12 strikeouts per nine innings. It's a big loss to the O's rotation.  

"If he's out for a long period, they may have to look at the trade deadline for starting pitching," said baseball insider Ken Rosenthal.

This is just another in a long line of injury troubles for the Orioles pitching staff this season, making the fact that they maintain their position as the top Wild Card team and the 3rd best record in the American League that much more impressive. 

Orioles pitcher injuries right now:

Kyle Bradish (UCL sprain)
John Means (Tommy John surgery)
Tyler Wells (UCL surgery)
Dean Kremer (triceps strain)
Danny Coulombe (elbow inflammation)

Previous IL stints:

Cionel Perez (oblique strain)
Grayson Rodriguez (shoulder inflammation) pic.twitter.com/vpAp1mMYve

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) June 15, 2024

John Means and Tyler Wells are both out for the year after elbow surgery, while Dean Kremer and Danny Coulombe are also out. 

“It's difficult,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “It's part of the game. We've had our share so far this year, and we had to rely on our depth.” 

Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez head up the Orioles rotation, but that depth is being severely tested. 

Photo: © Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports