Orioles Boss Updates Progress Of Injured Star Pitcher

The progress of the Baltimore Orioles' best returning starting pitcher from 2023 was discussed on Saturday at spring training.

One of the more significant storylines during Baltimore Orioles spring training has been the throwing elbow of Kyle Bradish.

He was diagnosed with a UCL sprain in the right elbow, an injury that could lead to Tommy John surgery if it becomes a partial tear or a full tear.

The team is trying what is called a PRP treatment, an injection of platelet-rich plasma designed to help treat the tear without surgery.

Since he was diagnosed and treated, Bradish has been on a throwing program, which started at 60 feet on flat ground. Since spring training, he has progressed to 75 feet and then to 90 feet, which was on Friday.

Orioles general manager Mike Elias talked with MASN during Saturday’s broadcast of the team’s spring training opener against the Boston Red Sox about Bradish’s continued progress.

"Things are going well, we're extending his throwing on flat ground on a session-by-session basis,” Elias said. “Early reads on the PRP treatment are very positive, it's something that'll take some time & we're not over the hump but we're moving in a positive direction."

That, admittedly, doesn’t say much. The Orioles have made it clear that Bradish will start the season on their injured list. They have not, to this point, provided a timeline publicly.

Some players have tried the treatment and have not had success with it. Others have not. It all depends on the responsiveness of the elbow.

Losing Bradish for any length of time is a blow for the Orioles. He’s coming off his best season in the Majors in 2023 as he was a key part of Baltimore winning 101 games and winning the American League East title.

Bradish went 12-7 in 30 starts, throwing 168.2 innings and striking out 168. He had the fourth-best ERA in baseball at 2.83 and had a 1.04 WHIP.

That performance led him to finish in the Top 5 in Cy Young voting and earned him a spot on the All-MLB Second Team.