Two Baltimore Orioles Star Pitchers Expected To Begin Season on 60-Day Injured List

The Baltimore Orioles are expected to put their two star pitchers on the 60-day injured list to begin the season.

May 15, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Kyle Bradish (38) delivers in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The rotation has been the topic of conversation surrounding the Baltimore Orioles throughout this offseason.

It was easy to understand since their ace, Corbin Burnes, hit the open market and left the Orioles in the same situation they were in last winter when they were searching for a bonafide No. 1 starter.

They made a push to re-sign the former Cy Young winner, but ultimately, he chose to stay home with the Arizona Diamondbacks, creating a void at the top of Baltimore's starting unit.

Instead of going after another ace, they opted to add depth to the mix, giving one-year deals to Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano to fill in behind Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez.

The Orioles could still make a late trade to bring in a top-of-the-rotation arm, but it doesn't seem like general manager Mike Elias is feeling the need to do that just yet, potentially waiting until the summer to make any additions ahead of the deadline.

Much of that reasoning could have to do with the injury recovery timelines of Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells.

So far, neither pitcher has suffered a setback in their rehab process, meaning there's a chance Baltimore could get them back at some point during the second half of the year that would completely transform their starting unit without having to give up assets.

It's a risk, but it could be one worth taking.

But because of their projected timeline, Darragh McDonald of MLB Trade Rumors is predicting both Bradish and Wells will be transferred to the 60-day injured list before the season begins.

That's not surprising.

There's no point in carrying either pitcher on the 40-man roster when they're not expected to be back until summer at best.

Instead, they'll be moved to the long-term IL and open up two spots for the Orioles to carry other players at positions of need, whether that's in the rotation with so many questions persisting, infield to protect themselves from a drop off that could occur from injuries, or the outfield where there are now multiple options manager Brandon Hyde can choose from.

All eyes will be on how Bradish and Wells continue to recover from their elbow surgeries.

If they can truly come back healthy at some point this year, then Baltimore will be in a much better position regarding their rotation when they gear up for a playoff push.