BALTIMORE -- Kyle Bradish’s recovery from Tommy John surgery is about to be complete.
Bradish is set to make his return on Tuesday night, when the 28-year-old right-hander will be reinstated from the injured list and start the Orioles’ 6:35 p.m. ET contest vs. the Red Sox at Camden Yards. It will be Bradish’s first big league outing since June 14, 2024.
Baltimore fans have eagerly awaited the return of Bradish, who was among the best pitchers in the American League during his breakout 2023 sophomore season. The righty had a 2.83 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 168 2/3 innings over 30 starts that year, earning him a fourth-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting.
The following offseason, Bradish sustained a partial tear in his right UCL. He received a platelet-rich plasma injection and began the 2024 campaign on the injured list, but he returned in early May and went on to make eight starts, pitching to a 2.75 ERA in 39 1/3 innings.
Even though Bradish’s UCL tear hadn’t been fully repaired, he still impressed -- especially on May 26, 2024, when he struck out 11 over seven hitless innings vs. the White Sox in Chicago.
Bradish’s outing on June 14, 2024, vs. the Phillies ended up being his final start of the season, as soreness returned to his right elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery later that month.
This year, Bradish began a Minor League rehab assignment on July 24, when he allowed one run over two innings for High-A Aberdeen. He made six rehab starts -- also pitching once for Double-A Chesapeake and four times with Triple-A Norfolk -- completing the assignment last Wednesday, when he threw 89 pitches over 4 2/3 innings for Norfolk.
The Orioles (60-70) have missed Bradish during their disappointing, injury-plagued 2025 season. Their 4.73 rotation ERA entering Monday ranked 25th in MLB, as Bradish was among the 28 O’s players to spend time on the injured list this season.
"He's been miserable not being able to help us this year, been very miserable kind of watching this thing and how it's gone, and he finally gets a chance to help," interim manager Tony Mansolino said. "Just really excited, too, for [head athletic trainer] Scott Barringer and [head strength coach] Trey Wiedman, our strength staff, [pitching coach] Drew French. There's so much work that goes into getting guys back from these Tommy John rehabs.
"It's an organizational win getting him out there."
Although Baltimore is unlikely to return to the postseason for a third straight year, Bradish will get an opportunity to make a handful of starts down the stretch and build momentum toward 2026. It’ll be important for him to log some innings before ideally again becoming a leader for the O’s staff as the club aims to return to contention next season.
Bradish isn’t the only injured starter soon making a return. Tyler Wells (UCL repair surgery) is set to make his sixth and final rehab start on Wednesday for Triple-A Norfolk, and then the 30-year-old right-hander will return in early September. Wells hasn’t pitched in a big league game since April 12, 2024.
"I do think it's valuable," Mansolino said. "It's a really big deal, and just the confidence and being able to have a normal offseason coming up. I think when guys go through injuries, there's always a lot of self-doubt. Are you going to be good enough when you come back? Well, [Bradish] is going to answer that question for himself over the next month-plus, and T-Wells, too."