Baltimore Orioles Boss Sets Pitch Count, Innings Goal For Injured Ace

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde knows what numbers his injured starter, Kyle Bradish, needs before he can return to the Majors.

Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters, including the Baltimore Sun, that he has a pitch count and innings goal in mind for injured right-hander Kyle Bradish, who is preparing for his third rehab start this week.

Bradish will make his next rehab start on Friday, according to Hyde. In his last start, the Top 5 finisher in Cy Young voting last season went 3.1 innings and threw 64 pitches for Triple-A Norfolk.

That puts the 27-year-old closer to Hyde’s goals than one might think. Hyde told the Sun and other outlets that Bradish needs to do two things before the team will consider a call-up — he needs to be able to throw five innings and 80 pitches, which should properly build him up for the Majors.

While Bradish is there to get innings and build up his arm, effectiveness is worth monitoring. After he gave up one hit in three innings for Double-A Bowie on April 16, he gave up six hits and four earned runs in his next start for Norfolk.

Like teammate John Means, Bradish has 30 days to build up for his return. Means has made five starts during his rehab, so he could potentially make three more.

Baltimore could use Bradish soon, as a third Orioles starter, Tyler Wells, went on the 15-day injured list last week.

He is recovering from a right UCL sprain, which is the same ligament that can lead to Tommy John surgery. Baltimore caught the sprain early in camp and believe that with rest and rehabilitation Bradish can avoid surgery.

Bradish went 12-7 in 30 starts in 2023, throwing 168.2 innings and striking out 168 last season. He had the fourth-best ERA in baseball at 2.83 and had a 1.04 WHIP. He helped the Orioles win the American League East for the first time since 2016.