Ryan Helsley’s night ended before he ever threw a pitch Wednesday, and the Orioles are waiting to find out whether his right elbow discomfort is anything more serious.
Helsley, who was warming in the bullpen and lined up to work the ninth inning in a non-save situation, was scratched before Baltimore’s 6-1 win was finished. Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said the bullpen phone rang during Blaze Alexander’s at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, and the message was simple: Helsley couldn’t go.
That led to a quick pivot in the top of the ninth, when Andrew Kittredge had to get loose in a hurry and take over from the bullpen. On the MASN broadcast, Helsley was seen grabbing his right arm.
The Orioles said Helsley was scheduled to be evaluated after the game. Albernaz didn’t hide how much the moment raised the temperature around the team’s closer.
“My level of concern with something like that is always high. It’s almost like you prepare for the worst and hope for the best,” Albernaz said.
Baltimore signed Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal this past offseason, with a player option for 2027, and he leads the club with eight saves. The eight-year major league veteran came to Baltimore looking for a reset after a rough finish last season following a deadline trade to the New York Mets.
His resume still stands out: a career 3.01 ERA and 113 saves.
Helsley started this season with a 2.53 ERA and seven saves before elbow inflammation sent him to the injured list on May 1. He came back at the start of the Orioles’ nine-game West Coast trip on June 16 and had made five appearances since then.
Now the Orioles are waiting on the next round of information. Albernaz said the team expects to know more in the coming days.
“Hopefully everything comes out and he’s fine, but you’re always concerned when bullpen calls out and says, ‘Hey, he can’t go.’” Albernaz said.
“But we’ll kind of see where this leads. ... Hopefully it was kind of just precautionary.”
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