One of the biggest moves that the Baltimore Orioles made this offseason was signing Ryan Helsley to a one-year, $14 million contract with a 2027 player option.
The Orioles (15-16, third place in AL East) open up a three-game weekend series with the New York Yankees on Friday. Before the first game of the Yankees series, the O’s made a decision on Ryan Helsley.
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Ryan Helsley Heads to Injured List
GettyBALTIMORE, MD – APRIL 28: Ryan Helsley #21 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Per team announcement, the Baltimore Orioles are placing Ryan Helsley on the 15-Day Injured List with elbow inflammation.
The corresponding move is recalling Albert Suarez. The move is retroactive to April 29.
MLBTradeRumors.com’s Darragh McDonald wrote (on May 1):
“It’s an out-of-nowhere IL stint for Helsley, as there wasn’t any previous indication that anything was wrong. He last pitched on Tuesday, recording a clean inning and earning a save as the O’s beat the Astros 5-3. His fastball averaged 99.3 miles per hour, right around his season average and a slight increase over his previous two outings. He didn’t pitch in the past two days but Baltimore didn’t have save chances in the interim. The game on Wednesday was postponed. The two games in yesterday’s doubleheader were not close, one being decided by six runs and the other by seven.”
Something must have happened to Helsley after his last outing that sparked this elbow issue, but the Orioles hope it isn’t too serious, and he can return to the bullpen after this IL stint.
Ryan Helsley has pitched 10.2 innings for the Orioles this season and has recorded seven saves with 15 strikeouts and an ERA of 2.53.
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More on Ryan Helsley…
GettyBALTIMORE, MARYLAND – APRIL 13: Ryan Helsley #21 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 13, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Ryan Helsley has been one of the premier closers in MLB since 2023.
He’s a two-time All-Star (2022, 2024). In 2024, Helsley led MLB in saves with 49, and followed that up with 21 saves last season.
The St. Louis Cardinals traded Ryan Helsley to the New York Mets at the end of July last season, and Helsley had his first real ‘poor’ stint in his career with the Mets. In 20 innings with the Mets from August to September, Helsley’s ERA was 7+, but the Mets did not use him in a closer role.
Now, since he’s been moved back to the ninth inning with the Orioles, he appears to be back on track.
For his career, Helsley has 112 saves in 309 games pitched. In 330.1 total innings pitched, Helsley’s lifetime ERA is 2.94 with 392 strikeouts.
It’s a big of ominous news for the Orioles and Ryan Helsley, but more information will likely surface after game one of the Orioles-Yankees series. However, Baltimore has several relievers on the shelf right now, which could be framed as a larger looming issue.
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