Baltimore Orioles make big decision on starting rotation

As rosters expand from 26 to 28 on Monday, Baltimore will be moving forward with a six-man starting rotation.

Aug 26, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | James A. Pittman-Imagn Images

With September roster expansion on the horizon, the Baltimore Orioles are set to make a change to their pitching staff.

Interim manager Tony Mansolino announced before Wednesday's game against the Boston Red Sox that the team will move forward with a six-man rotation for the remainder of the season.

The rotation already welcomed back right-hander Kyle Bradish, who struck out 10 over six innings Tuesday in his first start since returning from Tommy John surgery. Yet another reinforcement is on the way, as Tyler Wells is set to rejoin the O's next week after making his sixth and final rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Norfolk.

Read More: How Orioles' pitcher fared in his final rehab start

What This Means for Baltimore

Apr 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tyler Wells (68) throws against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

One of the main reasons why Baltimore opted to go this route was due to the injury-riddled season they have endured this year. A six-man rotation offers the best chance of everybody staying healthy through the end of the season.

"Nobody will pitch on regular rest the rest of the year," Mansolino said.

Tony Mansolino said #Orioles will go to 6-man rotation when rosters expand Monday. It will feature:

RHP Kyle Bradish
LHP Trevor Rogers
RHP Dean Kremer
RHP Tomoyuki Sugano
LHP Cade Povich
RHP Tyler Wells

Nobody will pitch on regular rest once that happens.

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) August 27, 2025

With the postseason unlikely, this decision suggests the Orioles' focus has shifted toward finding rotation stability and protecting their starters while looking ahead to 2026.

Baltimore's starting rotation moving forward will include the returning Bradish and Wells, right-handers Dean Kremer and Tomoyuki Sugano, and left-handers Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich.

Bradish and Wells are both returning from major surgeries, and the last thing either pitcher needs is to be pushed too hard down the stretch. Both are seen as integral to Baltimore beyond this year, and how they continue to progress after their injuries could indicate how competitive the club may be in 2026.

Bradish, 28, reminded everyone of his ace potential Tuesday, flashing the form that earned him a fourth-place finish in the 2023 AL Cy Young race.

Kyle Bradish has 10 strikeouts in his return to the mound for the @Orioles 👏 pic.twitter.com/2CEtt9J8GD

— MLB (@MLB) August 26, 2025

As for Wells, he too has proven to be a reliable starter. After an impressive 2023 campaign where he sported a 3.64 ERA over 25 games (20 starts), Wells has shown that potential again on his rehab assignment recovering from a UCL injury. In six rehab starts, he had an impressive 2.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Their returns correspondingly will put less pressure on Kremer and Sugano, both of whom have carried heavy workloads this season.

Kremer owns a 4.19 ERA in 152.1 innings, while Sugano has posted a 4.06 ERA over 137.1 innings during his rookie campaign.

Read More: Baltimore Orioles designate veteran pitcher for assignment

Pitching has been an Achilles' heel for Baltimore this year, with the staff's 4.67 ERA ranking firth-worst in the majors. Still, the Orioles hope this revamped rotation can finish strong and create optimism heading into 2026.