The Baltimore Orioles are getting a major boost in their bullpen.
The Orioles activated closer Ryan Helsley from the 15-day injured list on Tuesday and optioned relief pitcher Anthony Nunez to Triple-A Norfolk.
Helsley was sidelined for the last seven weeks due to right elbow inflammation, which landed him on the IL on April 29.
Helsley made two recent rehab appearances for Norfolk where he struck out five of the seven batters he faced. As a result, the Orioles deemed that their closer was ready to return to help assist a bullpen that is 21st in MLB with a 4.57 ERA.
Prior to getting injured, the 31-year-old got off to a hot start to his Orioles' tenure with a 2.53 ERA, 15 strikeouts and was a perfect 7-for-7 on save chances across 10.2 innings.
Baltimore signed Helsley to a two-year, $28 million deal (player option of $14 million in 2027) this past winter as one of their major offseason acquisitions. He was brought in to serve as the closer while Felix Bautista recovers from shoulder surgery.
Helsley has a decent track record in his eight-year MLB career. He is a two-time All-Star and won NL Reliever of the Year in 2024, notching 49 saves (led the league) and posting a 2.04 ERA. Last year, he was up-and-down, producing a 3.00 ERA with the St. Louis Cardinals before getting dealt at the MLB trade deadline to the New York Mets. Helsley was a nightmare with the Mets as their setup man, putting up an abysmal 7.20 ERA across 20 innings.
Despite his injury, the Orioles have gotten the Cardinals version of Helsley thus far. They will hope that he can come back and replicate his previous production before going on the IL.
In Helsley's absence, Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano have stepped up in the Orioles' bullpen.
Baltimore enters play on Tuesday with a 34-39 record. They're 10.5 games back in the American League East, but 2.5 games back of the third and final AL Wild Card spot.
