The Baltimore Orioles are hoping to get back right-hander Ryan Helsley this year.
The Baltimore Orioles lost their fourth consecutive game on Friday, losing another matchup against the Boston Red Sox. They enter Saturday sitting three games back of the final American League wild card spot. If they want to give themselves a chance at October baseball, they need to turn it around immediately.
The Orioles bullpen has struggled as of late, blowing leads in the late innings and contributing to the losing streak. However, a familiar face may be nearing a return to the mound. Manager Craig Albernaz provided the latest update on closer Ryan Helsley during their current series with Boston.
"Ryan Helsley threw a 26-pitch bullpen today. Live BP next. Good velo and threw all his pitches," reported Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports on Friday. "He stepped on the gas," Albernaz added.
Helsley has not pitched for most of the 2026 season due to right elbow inflammation. Signed this past offseason on a two-year, $28 million contract with an opt-out after this season, Helsley immediately earned the closer role and filled a void for Baltimore.
Their previous shutdown closer Felix Bautista had undergone surgery and was not an option, making Helsley the replacement.
Unfortunately he has simply not been available enough to make a difference. He first felt elbow discomfort back in late April, missing over six weeks recovering.
When he returned he felt similar discomfort, landing him right back on the injured list in July. He is currently on the 60-day injured list, making Saturday's bullpen session the first real sign of progress.
The velocity is the most encouraging part of Albernaz's update given how critical that is when returning from elbow issues. If Helsley feels right after the live batting practice session, the next step would typically be a rehab assignment.
However, given where Baltimore stands with just a few weeks left in the regular season, he could choose to bypass that and join the bullpen immediately.
When Helsley did pitch this year the results were underwhelming relative to his contract, as he owned a 4.11 ERA across 17 appearances. However he was still missing bats, collecting 21 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings.
Command and walk prevention have been the primary issues that he has to address when he returns. It is still not guaranteed he comes back this year, but given the opt-out clause on his contract, there is a reasonable chance he opts back in and returns to Baltimore for the 2027 season regardless of how this one ends.
