Impending return of Orioles starters provides hope for stretch run

The Baltimore Orioles seeing positive production from their injured starters would be the best-case scenario for the rest of the year.

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

As expected after the trade deadline, the Baltimore Orioles have not been performing well.

With the 2025 season being a lost cause in terms of making the playoffs, the Orioles are focused on seeing what their young talent can do and are likely game planning for next season. At the deadline, the team traded away most of their veterans on expiring deals; this has freed up several roster spots for younger players to get a chance to prove themselves.

Read More: Orioles should have a clear plan to create success next season

While the lineup should be just fine for years to come, the area of concern is the starting rotation. This was a unit that wasn’t good to start the campaign, and injuries made it even worse. Now, the team must focus on making sure that this unit will be ready for 2026, and that process should be starting now.

Tyler Wells’ final line from his second rehab start, this one in Triple-A:

2.1 innings
3 hits
0 runs
2 walks
4 strikeouts

Wells worked up to 49 pitches. pic.twitter.com/jG03LOfesd

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) August 5, 2025

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the best-case scenario for the Orioles to finish the season, which would be to have rehabbing starting pitchers Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells available. From there, the team can determine which arm to build the rotation around.

“Both Bradish and Wells are nearing a return from Tommy John surgery, but goodness only knows when G-Rod will be back. Finding out which of those pitchers they can theoretically count on as rotation fixtures in 2026 would be a huge help as they look to reload this winter.”

Will Returning Starters Help?

Jun 14, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) throws a first inning pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Starting pitching was certainly a problem for Baltimore to start the season and the injury to Grayson Rodriguez early on set the tone of the rest of the year. The right-hander has a ton of talent but has been injury-prone early on in his career; now, he will be out for the rest of the season but appears to be optimistic that he will be ready to help in 2026.

In terms of getting Bradish and Wells back from Tommy John surgery, the sooner the better. Both pitchers are making rehab starts for the Triple-A Norfolk Tides, so it is more than possible that they can return to the rotation in September. Bradish in particular has shown ace potential, with a fourth-place finish in Cy Young voting just two seasons ago. Wells also enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 and can be a reliable mid-rotation arm when healthy.

Read More: Key Orioles' starter impresses in rehab outing

While 2025 might have been a failure, the Orioles are a team that has the potential to turn things around quickly and be a contender once again in 2026. A key to making that happen will be to figure out what the starting rotation is going to look like and who they can count on. The team can’t go into the next campaign with as many question marks as they did this season or they will see a similar result.

A lot of Baltimore's potential offseason plans will revolve around how these two right-handers perform. Although they still need to add complimentary pieces, seeing Bradish and/or Wells pick up where they left off will certainly make things easier.