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SARASOTA—Kyle Bradish is making a steady recovery from last June’s Tommy John surgery. In his first interview since he left his start against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 14th after five innings, Bradish was upbeat about pitching this season.
“Good, arm feels really good,” Bradish said on Monday. “No setbacks, throwing program is going good. Right now, I’m just focused on day-to-day throwing, not really focused about mound or stuff like that.”
His 2024 season was delayed by a sprain in his right ulnar collateral ligament. Bradish received a platelet-rich-plasma shot and pitched well.
Bradish’s first start came on May 2nd. In eight starts, Bradish was 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA. His two wins were spectacular — seven no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts against the Chicago White Sox on May 26th and six one-hit innings with nine strikeouts against Tampa Bay on June 8th.
“There was definitely some significant pain,” Bradish said. “I was out there trying to help my team win. After that Phillies’ start, I just knew I couldn’t do it again. The whole elbow was in pain instead of just a specific spot. I’m glad I gave it a shot and got the injection. What I was feeling, I was dealing with the second half of the year before. We didn’t know what the extent was.
“I decided I could go out and pitch and do the same thing and it kind of gradually got worse. If I would have gotten surgery in January, there kind of would have been a little regret, questioning if I didn’t have to get surgery because I didn’t feel that bad at that moment.”
Bradish and Tyler Wells, who also had a season-ending elbow surgery in June, worked out together last year and will continue to do so this year.
“It’s nice playing catch with him,” Bradish said. “We were both at our homes for the offseason, so we didn’t really do that stuff together, but being able to throw with him right now is good.”
Bradish kept in contact with the team and was an avid fan from afar.
“I wouldn’t say I was away from the game. I watched literally every single game possible on TV, so it’s not like I really left it. I just left the team for a little bit,” he said.
Bradish did have company with Wells and Danny Coulombe, who had surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow in June.
“We’d watch games together and then being here around the guys it feels pretty normal even though it’s not a normal spring training for me,” Bradish said.
Manager Brandon Hyde is eager to have Bradish rejoin the rotation.
“Whenever somebody is coming off Tommy John or a major injury, surgery, you’re optimistic and looking for the best. We believe in Kyle’s makeup. He’s a bulldog.
“It’s been hard for him not being able to be out there … It’s been hard for him not being able to be out there with the team last year at the end and this spring, but he’s doing an amazing job from a rehab standpoint. He’s checking off all the boxes, him and Tyler both. They’re doing everything they can to be back as soon as they can.”
Bradish thinks the Orioles’ rotation is a strong one, even without him and last year’s ace, Corbin Burnes.
“I feel very confident in this rotation,” Bradish said. “Losing Burnes hurts just because of what a caliber of pitcher he is. The guys we brought in, the guys we have, kind of sets the rotation up even better.
“I had been watching Burnes before he even got there. I had limited access to him while I was here, so I can’t say I learned too much from him. Watching him, his routine is very detailed. I can see why he is the pitcher he is.”
Bradish thinks he’ll be just as good as we was before the surgery.
“I have full confidence in myself that I will make a full recovery and be back out there and like the pitcher that I was in ’23 and last year before surgery.”
Note: Hyde said that Tomoyuki Sugano would throw a bullpen session on Tuesday. “Pushed it back a day. Still adjusting to the long travel,” he said about the 35-year-old Japanese pitcher.
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