It was June 14, 2024, and the Baltimore Orioles were playing the Philadelphia Phillies from Camden Yards on a beautiful Friday night.
Five innings complete, and O’s starting pitcher Kyle Bradish was looking like his usual self, striking out four Philly batters and giving up just two earned runs against one of the top teams in baseball.
That was until it was announced after a half inning that he would not return to the game with right elbow soreness.
To know why this caused all of Birdland to collectively hold their breath, you would have to go back to February, when it was announced that Bradish was going to miss the start of spring training with an elbow injury.
It was determined that Bradish was dealing with a UCL injury, but it was stated that it was “not as serious as closer Félix Bautista‘s was.”
Whether that was good or bad news was the question, and before long, we had an answer, as Bradish would receive a platelet-rich plasma injection and be shut down for two weeks before resuming a spring-training-like build-up prior to making his season debut.
That debut came on May 2, 2024, with 4.2 innings of one-run ball against the vaunted New York Yankees. Though Bradish would not factor in the decision, he took a big step in looking like the ace that was born in 2023.
Bradish would take the bump seven more times, picking up two wins, with the Orioles going 6-2 in his starts, as he compiled a 2.75 ERA across those games.
So when what happened on June 14 occurred, Birdland didn’t know what to think. And then it came, as always, in threes. John Means, Tyler Wells and Bradish would all require UCL surgery and be out at least 14 or 15 months.
Bradish underwent his Tommy John procedure on June 19, 2024. The recovery was long, and the road seemed to go on forever for the young right-hander.
With every step, Birdland was there to watch or listen and hang onto every word and pitch, from long toss to bullpens to facing live batters at extended spring training.
It still didn’t feel complete, and it wasn’t until July 24, 2025, for the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds that Bradish would toe the rubber and throw a baseball in a pro game once again. After two innings, allowing two hits and a run while striking out four, Bradish had made the biggest step in his recovery.
From there, he would pitch a game for Double-A Chesapeake and then arrive in Triple-A Norfolk. He would total five more outings, completing his rehab with 22 total innings of work, a 6.06 ERA, 25 strikeouts and eight walks.
Bradish worked on refining his pitches, repeating his windup and pitching from the stretch for it all to lead to one thing: to step on the mound in a major league stadium for the first time in a little over a full calendar year.
When Tuesday evening arrives at Camden Yards, it will be the 438th day from the last time Bradish took to a big league mound.
For the Orioles, they will see their ace back where he belongs. For Birdland, it will bring hope for 2026, especially with fellow starter Trevor Rogers becoming a top of the rotation starter.
But for Bradish, it will mean that what he loves can still be done, hopefully for another decade plus in Charm City.
Welcome back, Kyle Bradish. Birdland has missed you, ace.
What are your thoughts on the return of Kyle Bradish? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
Represent The Baltimore Battery and show off your fandom with our official merchandise! Reasonably-priced attire made just for you! Visit our official shop site by clicking here!
Like Stephen’s content? Follow him on X – @SRJHeckman, and listen to the official podcast of The Baltimore Battery, The Final Strike, anywhere you get your podcasts!
THE BALTIMORE BATTERY 
Leave a comment