The Orioles are set to lose a key member of their bullpen soon.
On the day before their 7-2 defeat against the Yankees, the Orioles announced that right-hander Ryan Helsley has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right elbow.
It’s still unclear how serious Helsley’s injury is, and to address the roster gap, Baltimore has called up right-hander Albert Suarez from Triple-A Norfolk.
This season, Helsley, now 31, had been performing well for the Orioles with a 2.53 ERA and 15 strikeouts across 10 1/3 innings.
Stepping into the closer role after Felix Bautista’s injury, Helsley has made 12 appearances and secured seven saves.
He signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Orioles over the offseason, bouncing back after a tough stretch with the Mets last year.
Recently, Helsley shared some insights with the media about his struggles in New York, expressing that he still isn’t quite sure what went wrong during his time there.
“For some reason, it just didn’t work out,” he reflected, admitting he felt confident while playing for an immensely talented team that still struggled to win. “It was a weird, weird feeling,” he said. “I’m sure the people who are there this year will feel the same way. It’s not a fun place.”
His stint with the Mets came after he was traded from the Cardinals at the deadline, but unfortunately, he posted a disappointing 7.20 ERA in 22 games, despite contributing to some important wins late in the season.
He noted that a significant issue was related to pitch tipping, which allowed hitters to predict his pitches based on his hand positions while on the mound.
“I felt like I could be good one game and then come back the next game,” Helsley mentioned. “So we couldn’t get rid of it completely. And then last month, I think I just made the switch when the calendar turned to September. The first few outings were weird.”
