Baltimore's bullpen has been a mess for weeks, and Ryan Helsley landing back on the injured list with elbow trouble was the last thing this team needed. But the update that came down is the one Orioles fans were hoping for: no surgery, at least not right now.
Ryan Helsley Expected To Avoid Elbow Surgery t.co/hqjmEL27Zw
This is Helsley's second elbow-related IL stint of the season, which is why the surgery question was even on the table. Reporting on the injury pointed to inflammation around the UCL rather than a tear, with manager Craig Albernaz framing it as an encouraging distinction. A torn ligament almost certainly means Tommy John and a lost season. Inflammation means rest, rehab, and a real shot at getting back on a mound before 2026 is over.
Helsley signed a 2-year, $28 million deal with Baltimore this past offseason specifically to lock down the ninth inning while Félix Bautista worked his way back from shoulder surgery. Instead, Helsley himself has been the one in and out of the training room, and the Orioles have had to piece together saves without their intended closer for most of the year.
The #Orioles get good news on Ryan Helsley t.co/jmv71O7PLW
The catch is that avoiding surgery doesn't mean Helsley is close. He reportedly doesn't plan to even start throwing again until August, which points to a lengthy IL stint no matter how you slice it. That timeline lines up roughly with when Bautista himself is expected back, which could give Baltimore a scenario where both late-inning arms return around the same stretch.
For a team that's had to scramble for save chances all summer, this is about as good as bad injury news gets. It doesn't fix the bullpen today, and it doesn't erase the fact that Baltimore's most expensive relief investment has barely pitched. But it keeps the door open for Helsley to be a real weapon down the stretch instead of a cautionary tale, and in a season full of shaky bullpen days, the Orioles will take any bit of stability they can get.