BALTIMORE — Even on an afternoon seemingly bringing some much-needed optimism at the conclusion of a deflating 2-4 homestand, the Orioles couldn’t escape disappointment and concern.
Instead of pitching the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox that prevented a three-game sweep and halted a four-game losing streak, closer Ryan Helsley is once again dealing with right elbow discomfort. The 31-year-old was warming up in the bullpen in the last of the eighth to make his first appearance since last Saturday, but he had to stop throwing, forcing manager Craig Albernaz to pivot to veteran right-hander Andrew Kittredge for the final frame.
Television cameras showed Helsley holding his right elbow and flexing his hand as he sat in the bullpen in the ninth inning. He was still being evaluated immediately after the game, but it’s obviously not an encouraging development with the two-time All-Star reliever having just returned from the injured list on June 16.
“My level of concern with something like that is always high,” Albernaz said. “It’s almost like you prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Hopefully, everything comes out and he’s fine, but you’re always concerned when the bullpen calls out and says, ‘Hey, he can’t go.’ But we’ll kind of see where this leads and more information. Hopefully, it was kind of just precautionary.”
Helsley missed seven weeks with right elbow inflammation that officially landed him on the IL on May 1, so even if he faces a similar prognosis rather than a more concerning outlook this time around, he could be facing another lengthy absence. It’s the last thing the struggling Orioles need after falling to a season-worst nine games below .500 and five games out of the final wild-card spot on Tuesday night.
Signed to replace injured closer Felix Bautista — who continues rehabbing from having major shoulder surgery last August — this past winter, Helsley is in the first season of a two-year, $28 million contract that includes an opt-out following 2026. He’s collected eight saves and pitched to a 4.11 ERA in 15 1/3 innings this season.
Baltimore returned home from a long West Coast trip last Friday aiming to take advantage of playing 12 of its final 15 games before the All-Star break at Camden Yards. However, series losses to Washington and Chicago only brought greater doubts about the Orioles’ ability to get back to .500, let alone start playing like a serious playoff contender. Losing four straight games immediately after president of baseball operations Mike Elias declared his intentions to be a buyer at the trade deadline last Saturday was a particularly dubious statement.
With catcher Adley Rutschman and outfielder Dylan Beavers returning from the IL on Sunday and right-hander Dean Kremer being activated Wednesday to toss six innings of one-run ball in his first start since April 18, the Orioles seemed to be getting as close to full strength as they could reasonably expect for the rest of the season. However, the potential loss of Helsley comes just two days after lefty reliever Keegan Akin went on the IL with elbow discomfort.
“He’s going through the options right now of what the next steps are,” said Albernaz about Akin. “We should have those, whatever he decides and the plan of attack, in the next couple days.”
Since a 10-4 stretch that lifted the Orioles to just two games below .500 on June 5, they’ve gone 9-15 and have won only one of their last eight series.
