Baltimore Orioles' Kyle Bradish Activated Off Injured List, Making Season Debut Thursday

Kyle Bradish served as the Baltimore Orioles' ace in 2023, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting, and now he's officially back from a UCL sprain to face the New York Yankees.

Oct 7, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Kyle Bradish (39). / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have activated starting pitcher Kyle Bradish off of the 15-day injured list, the team announced Thursday morning.

The right-hander will make his season debut against the New York Yankees on Thursday.

Bradish suffered a UCL sprain in February and missed the first month of the regular season as a result. He was throwing bullpen sessions by mid-March, live batting practice by early April and rehab starts by April 16.

In three minor league rehab starts, Bradish posted a 3.97 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings. He last took the mound on April 26.

To make room for Bradish on their roster, the Orioles designated right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez for assignment.

Bradish emerged as the Orioles' ace in 2023, which was his second season in the big leagues. He went 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.043 WHIP, 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings and a 4.9 WAR, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting.

The Brad man is back. pic.twitter.com/vArJY387E0

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 2, 2024

Bradish's return is well-timed, considering the Orioles just placed Grayson Rodriguez on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation on Wednesday. Oft-injured former All-Star John Means was brought up to take Rodriguez's roster spot, but he has only been able to make six appearances since the start of 2022.

Provided that he is back to full strength himself, Bradish can be relied upon for much more than that.

Offseason trade addition Corbin Burnes has performed admirably as Baltimore's ace thus far in 2024, which isn't surprising given he won NL Cy Young with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021. With Bradish and Means entering the fold, the first-place Orioles now have even more high-end talent at the top of their rotation.

First pitch between the Orioles and Yankees is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET.

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