Bradish, Henderson headline list of injured O’s
Baltimore Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish will start the season on the injured list because of a sprained UCL in his pitching elbow.
Bradish’s elbow sprain was one of several injuries announced Thursday by Orioles general manager Mike Elias, who also revealed that star infielder Gunnar Henderson is dealing with an oblique injury and that left-hander John Means is a month behind Baltimore’s other starting pitchers and likely won’t be ready for Opening Day.
Elias told reporters that “everything is pointing in the right direction” for Bradish, who received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his elbow and will begin a throwing program Friday. Although he did not offer a specific timeline for Bradish’s return, Elias said he expects the hard-throwing right-hander to pitch for the Orioles in 2024.
Elias offered similar optimism when asked about Henderson, the 2023 American League Rookie of the Year. Henderson likely will miss two to three weeks but is expected to be ready for Opening Day, according to Elias, who described Henderson’s injury as “really typical” for “early spring training.”
The Orioles’ timeline was not as promising for Means, whose offseason pitching program was delayed due to the elbow injury that forced him to miss last year’s AL Division Series. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde acknowledged that, because of the delay, he is expecting Means to start the season on the IL.
Elias also announced that top catching prospect Samuel Basallo has a stress fracture in his right elbow and won’t start throwing until April. The Orioles will plan to use Basallo as a designated hitter during spring training, but he won’t return to catching until April at the earliest.
Bradish, 27, went 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA over 30 starts during his breakout 2023 season. He was slated to be a cornerstone of an Orioles starting rotation strengthened by their acquisition of 2021 Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes earlier this month from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Without Bradish and Means, who pitched in just four games last season as part of his recovery from 2022 Tommy John surgery, the defending AL East champion Orioles have two openings in their rotation behind Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer.
Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin both have starting experience, and Elias also acknowledged that the Orioles would be open to adding another pitcher to their rotation before the start of the season.
TORONTO — Cleveland Guardians star Jose Ramirez was back in the lineup for Sunday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, two days after the third baseman left in the third inning because of a mild right ankle sprain.
The six-time All-Star was injured when he stumbled and fell while crossing first base on an infield single. Ramirez went down after being struck in the back by a throw from Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt.
Ramirez was batting third Sunday against right-hander Bowden Francis.
Ramírez sat out Saturday when Cleveland beat Toronto 5-3. He went 2 for 2 before departing Friday, boosting his average to .274. He has five home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.
In last Thursday’s 4-3 victory over Minnesota, Ramirez became the first primary third baseman to reach 250 homers and 250 stolen bases.
The Miami Marlins activated catcher Nick Fortes from the 10-day injured list Sunday morning. To make room for him on the active roster, starting second baseman Otto Lopez was placed on the 10-day injured list.
Fortes, the Marlins’ Opening Day catcher, posted six hits in 20 at-bats with two doubles, one triple and one RBI in seven appearances before going on the IL on April 10 with an injured left oblique muscle. The 28-year-old missed 20 games as the Marlins went 7-13 without him. To prepare for Sunday’s return, he rehabbed for two games at Triple-A Jacksonville and went 0-for-6.
Fortes figures to split time with 23-year-old rookie catcher Agustin Ramirez, who has delivered a .256/.293/.615 slash line with three homers and five RBIs in 10 games during his first stint in the bigs.
The 26-year-old Lopez hits the injured list, retroactive to Saturday, with a sprained right ankle. Lopez started the season hot with a .400 average to go with two homers, six RBIs and one stolen base during five games in March. Since then, he has batted .191 (17-for-89) with no homers, five RBIs and two steals.
Rookie Javier Sanoja, 22, has filled Lopez’s spot at second base the last two games and provided two doubles, two runs and one RBI in seven at-bats.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway