With the Baltimore Orioles nursing a late lead over the Chicago White Sox, they had closer Ryan Helsley warming up in the bullpen. However, he was shut down before entering the game, and Andrew Kittredge closed out the win.
After the game, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz revealed that Helsley had “right elbow discomfort”.
“The bullpen phone rang during Blaze’s (Alexander) at-bat,” said Albernaz on MASN’s postgame coverage of the broadcast. “He just called down and said he felt some elbow discomfort.”
Albernaz says that Helsley will be evaluated over “the next couple of days”.
Ryan Helsley Dealing with Elbow Discomfort
GettyThe Orioles anxiously await the results of testing on Ryan Helsley’s elbow after he was shut down in the bullpen in their win over the White Sox. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The Orioles had a 5-1 lead over the White Sox going into the bottom of the eighth. Ryan Helsley had not pitched since June 27, so this was an opportunity for their closer to get some work in.
Since he was already warming for a non-save opportunity, the run Baltimore scored in the inning didn’t matter that much.
The MASN broadcast showed Helsley was favoring his right elbow in the bullpen, screengrabbed by Orioles MLB.com reporter Jake Rill. Rill adds that the Orioles closer was flexing his hand and rubbing his right elbow with the other hand.
Helsley will undergo further testing of the elbow. Team physicians will likely do a physical exam of the elbow to recreate the symptoms of discomfort. That will provide some kind of guideline before the right-hander’s elbow undergoes an MRI.
The results of Helsley’s MRI might not be reported until Friday, July 3. That’s when the Orioles start their series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark.
What the Ryan Helsley News Means for the Orioles
It’s unclear when the next update on Ryan Helsley will come out. By the time the Orioles start their series against the Reds, they should already know the extent of the injury and the next likely steps.
The worst potential outcome would be a UCL injury that requires surgery. That would sideline Helsley for at least the next calendar year.
The Orioles signed Helsley to be their proven closer in the ninth inning. After an uneven year with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets heading into free agency, he took a pillow deal with Baltimore.
In 17 appearances, he has a 4.11 ERA and eight saves. The right-hander has a 30.9 strikeout rate and a 59.5% ground ball rate, but is also walking hitters at a career-high 13.2% rate as well.
A previous elbow injury sidelined him for six weeks from May 1 to June 11. In his previous absence, the Orioles went with a closer-by-committee approach. Rico Garcia and Anthony Nunez got the most opportunities, with four and three saves, respectively.
An extended absence for Helsley could very well upend the Orioles’ trade deadline plans. General manager Mike Elias has hinted that they will be a buyer at the trade deadline. The Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Meyer posted the full quote behind Elias’ explanation of what the team needed to do.
“If the deadline were today, we’re a game and a half out. I know our record’s backwards, but apparently it’s infecting a bunch of other teams, too. I can’t explain it, and I wish we were arriving at that in a much different way, and the context around that is unusual. But we’re right there. So, like I said, we’re going for it.”
The Orioles are 1-4 since Elias made his declaration and are sitting 40-48. They’re now 4.5 games back of a Wild Card spot in a weak American League.
Without their closer, the path to getting back into the postseason chase might be more difficult. If it’s a more severe injury, they may instead pivot to selling.
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