TAMPA – Tony Mansolino is willing to talk about the weather and how miserably hot it gets in Florida. He loves to share stories about his two young sons, learning the sport through his father, Doug, and pretty much any topic that isn’t a guarded club secret. But just like his predecessor, Mansolino knows that most of the media sessions begin with injury and rehab updates.
There’s no escaping it – just like the heat.
The interim manager was happy to pass along the latest positive report on Kyle Bradish, who is following his two innings of live batting practice over the weekend with his first rehab start Thursday at High-A Aberdeen.
Bradish made his last Orioles appearance on June 14, 2024 against the Phillies, allowing two runs in five innings and coming out after only 74 pitches. The red flag was raised and flapped in the breeze. A pitcher who received a platelet-rich plasma injection in January after his diagnosis of an ulnar collateral ligament sprain was on borrowed time, and the clock struck 12 on a Baltimore evening.
We’ll assume that it was muggy.
In his previous start, Bradish shut out the Rays on one hit with no walks and nine strikeouts over six innings at Tropicana Field. He tossed seven hitless innings against the White Sox on May 26, striking out 11. He had a 2.75 ERA in eight starts and looked like he might be better than the 2023 version that finished fourth in American League Cy Young voting.
The Orioles aren’t playing for the Wild Card, but they’re excited to get Bradish back on the mound. They’ll give fist bumps with fingers crossed.
“Cautious optimism, as we’ve seen some of the rehab stints, knowing that everything’s not always super linear or step-by-step,” Mansolino said. “Things can go sideways at times, so just cautiously optimistic, excited for him. Just him taking the ball last year, knowing he had what he had, and he was gonna pitch through it in some ways. Those starts were important to the 2024 Baltimore Orioles. They helped that team get into the playoffs. So excited to see him go through it.
“He’s doing a great job. He’s a really important part of this organization.”
The rotation could undergo significant changes by the deadline. Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano are pending free agents. Bradish is on track for his August return, and Tyler Wells is getting closer to his assignment. There’s also Cade Povich, who starts for Triple-A Norfolk Thursday or Friday, and rookie Brandon Young, who starts Wednesday against the Guardians and could receive a longer audition.
Wells, recovered from his own elbow reconstructive surgery, but with an internal brace, has made 46 starts among his 95 appearances in the majors. The Orioles aren’t settled on his role in 2025.
“We haven’t had that conversation yet,” Mansolino said. “He’s gonna get in these rehab starts and kind of as we go, then we’ll have a little bit more idea as he recovers and how he bounces back each outing. We’ll know more after the first couple.”
Where the Orioles sit in the standings could be a consideration.
“I think you factor in a lot of stuff,” Mansolino said. “I think you’re thinking about the team, I think you’re thinking about the player. There’s a clock right now, too. Opportunity, depending on kind of what happens here with our rotation over the next few weeks. So I think there’s a lot of different factors in play. Not one factor’s more important than the other.”
The Orioles are hoping that Grayson Rodriguez returns this summer but they can’t count on it. He’s shut down again with right elbow discomfort.
"I know he’s working really hard,” executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said yesterday on MLB Network Radio. “We’re exploring every avenue toward getting him back up and running, but he keeps hitting various setbacks. But he’s a young guy. We’ll get through this. We look forward to having him back."
The rotation didn't perform to the collective level needed by the club, which could lead Elias to search for starting pitching at the deadline.
“Looking at our next year’s roster, the positional group is a little bit more set than the pitching group, but I think we’ve got to see what’s out there in the market in terms of returns,” he said. “We’d like to get pitching prospects back. Who wouldn’t? And we’d like to get more pitching competition going into the second half, even. But you have to see what the market’s going to bring to the table and bring to bear.”
The bullpen also is hugely vulnerable to change with teams inquiring about Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Andrew Kittredge. I’d be surprised if at least two of them aren’t traded. Kittredge brings appeal to both sides with his $9 million option for 2026.
Reliever Scott Blewett isn’t going to be traded and he isn’t eligible for reinstatement from the injured list until July 28. He’s sidelined by right elbow discomfort.
“Getting different medical opinions on that right now, so nothing official,” Mansolino said. “We’ll probably have more information on exactly what that is. It doesn’t sound like it’s catastrophic, by any means.”