BALTIMORE — An Orioles bullpen with plenty of question marks entering spring training will be even thinner than expected to begin the 2026 season.
While veteran setup man Andrew Kittredge was already expected to be sidelined for Opening Day due to right shoulder inflammation, Baltimore also placed left-hander Keegan Akin on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Akin hurt himself while warming up in the bullpen preparing to pitch in last Saturday’s Grapefruit League game and underwent imaging that revealed a left groin strain.
Manager Craig Albernaz declined to reveal a timetable for when Akin might be ready to return, but Kittredge recently expressed optimism that he’d be ready to return soon after the minimum absence. Both moves were retroactive to March 22.
With neither Kittredge nor Akin eligible to return until the second week of April, the Orioles included right-handers Yaramil Hiraldo and Anthony Nunez as part of an eight-man bullpen. The latter’s inclusion was a surprise after he was optioned to minor-league camp on March 8, but he impressed early in the spring with five scoreless appearances in the Grapefruit League. The 24-year-old Nunez was acquired from the New York Mets in the Cedric Mullins trade last summer and pitched to a 3.45 ERA while averaging 12.1 strikeouts per nine innings with Triple-A Norfolk last August and September.
“First and foremost, what stands out is his maturity, his demeanor. He’s always in control of his emotions every single day,” Albernaz said. “The stuff is real. I like the strike quality; I actually love the strike quality. He does a great job with the runners on base [and] controlling the running game. All those little things he does really well. That’s someone that even when we sent him out, we were still talking about him. Kind of the way everything unfolded with Keegan’s injury and stuff, he had the opportunity to come in and make an impact for us. We’re excited for him.”
Though right-hander Albert Suarez did not make the club as a non-roster invitee, the 36-year-old will remain with the organization and join Norfolk’s pitching staff despite having an opt-out clause for the end of spring training.
As expected, the Orioles placed infielders Jackson Holliday (right hamate surgery) and Jordan Westburg (right elbow UCL sprain) and outfielder Heston Kjerstad (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day IL to begin the season. Those moves are retroactive to March 22, but Holliday is the only one of the three expected to make his return to the 26-man roster sooner than later.
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Utility infielder Jeremiah Jackson and outfielder Leody Taveras won the final two bench spots on the 26-man roster.
Below is the Opening Day roster:
STARTING ROTATION
LHP Trevor Rogers
RHP Kyle Bradish
RHP Shane Baz
RHP Chris Bassitt
RHP Zach Eflin
BULLPEN
RHP Ryan Helsley
RHP Yennier Cano
RHP Tyler Wells
LHP Dietrich Enns
RHP Rico Garcia
LHP Grant Wolfram
RHP Anthony Nunez
RHP Yaramil Hiraldo
CATCHERS
Adley Rutschman
Samuel Basallo
INFIELDERS
Gunnar Henderson
Pete Alonso
Coby Mayo
Blaze Alexander
Ryan Mountcastle
Jeremiah Jackson
OUTFIELDERS
Taylor Ward
Colton Cowser
Tyler O’Neill
Dylan Beavers
Leody Taveras
