With Kyle Bradish and John Means working their way back from injuries, Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has a good problem on his hands, trying to find starts for all of his pitchers.
A six-man rotation is a possibility but not likely.
Lefty Cole Irvin, who threw seven scoreless innings against the Oakland Athletics on April 27, could be one of the pitchers bumped from the rotation to make room for Bradish or Means. However, Irvin has thrived as a starter this season, going 2-1 with a 3.49 ERA in 28.1 innings.
Right-hander Albert Suárez has given the Orioles a lift in the rotation as well but is also a candidate to head to the bullpen. He has posted a 2.35 ERA in three starts (15.1 innings). Most recently, he allowed four runs in four innings against the A’s on April 28.
“We’re keeping everything open right now. We’re day-to-day with everything right now,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “You cannot have enough pitching.”
Bradish had three rehab starts in the minors as part of his recovery from a right UCL sprain. He allowed five runs and 12 hits with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 11.1 minor league innings. More importantly, he emerged injury-free and is ready to join the Orioles’ rotation.
“It’s part of his progression. He got to an innings spot and a pitch spot, the amount of pitches he threw where we feel like he’s ready,” Hyde said. “Kyle was one of the best pitchers in the league last year, and we’re excited to have him back.”
The return of Bradish is huge for the Orioles, Last season, he went 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA in 30 starts, finishing fourth in the American League Cy Young Award voting.
Bradish could get his first major league start of the 2024 season on May 2 against the New York Yankees at Camden Yards.
Means, who is on the 15-day injured list with a strained left forearm, could also rejoin the Orioles this week, but Hyde has not discussed his role as of yet.
Irvin and/or Suárez could help a tired Orioles bullpen in the near future, but the Orioles received encouraging news on that front when Cionel Pérez returned from the IL and managed to get three outs and strand a runner in a 2-0 win on April 29 against the Yankees.
Yennier Cano retired four of the five batters he faced, while Danny Coulombe recorded his first save of the season with a perfect ninth in place of closer Craig Kimbrel (back).
“It kind of slotted certain guys to certain spots in a certain part of the game,” Hyde said. “It was going to be kind of how we did it in September last year a little bit, where it’s just going to be a committee and have Cano face a certain part of the lineup, give him the tough task, honestly, and then have some lefties there to navigate around him.”
Rodriguez Bounces Back
The Orioles needed a sparkling performance by Grayson Rodriguez in the series opener against the Yankees on April 30.
The bullpen was exhausted after three tough games with the Athletics this past weekend. Plus, struggling closer Craig Kimbrel is dealing with a back injury.
Rodriguez came up huge, scattering five hits with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings in the 2-0 victory. The Orioles also reclaimed a share of first place in the American League East with New York, which had scored 15 runs in each of its last two games against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Rodriguez now is 4-1 with a 3.71 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP through seven starts. He is also striking out 9.8 hitters per nine innings. He gave up seven runs against the Los Angeles Angels in his last start.
“Grayson was absolutely outstanding,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “Really good fastball and changeup tonight. Kept them off balance extremely well. Pitched out of a couple of jams, too, against the middle of the order, so outstanding job of pitching.”
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