Now dad of 4 sons (including newborn twins), Kittredge back to dealing out of O's 'pen

BALTIMORE -- In a sense, Andrew Kittredge is a fatherly figure in the Orioles' bullpen. The 36-year-old right-hander is the eldest member of a relief corps that otherwise ranges from ages 24 to 32.

At home, Kittredge actually is a dad. And his number of children recently doubled, as his wife, Tobey, gave birth to twin sons (Jett and Elijah) earlier this month, marking their third and fourth kids (all boys, all 7 or younger).

Kittredge's paternity leave made for an even more unusual start to his season. After opening the year on the 10-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation, the veteran's rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk was paused for his twin sons' birth, as he didn't pitch between April 8 and 17.

Now, Kittredge is back pitching out of Baltimore's bullpen, again serving as one of the club's most valuable high-leverage arms. He tossed a scoreless inning in his 2026 debut last Friday vs. the Red Sox, then tossed another scoreless frame on Sunday against Boston. The righty kept his early success going by escaping a self-induced bases-loaded jam vs. the Astros in Tuesday's 5-3 win, putting up another zero in an inning of work.

This isn't Kittredge's first stint with the O's. In January 2025, he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the team that featured a $9 million club option for '26. Before that deal was over, he was dealt to the Cubs, sent to Chicago last July 31 as Baltimore operated like sellers ahead of the Trade Deadline.

With the Orioles eyeing a quick turnaround, they reacquired Kittredge in a trade with the Cubs on Nov. 4 in exchange for cash considerations. And this time, he's hoping to help the O's (14-15) make a postseason run.

"You always want to play for winning clubs. I mean, my job stays the same, whether we’re winning or losing," Kittredge said. "I want to go out there and compete and be the best I can to help the team win. We’re looking up and are in a different position than we were last year. Obviously, there’s room to grow. It’s a long season and we need to win some games. But definitely a lot more exciting to be where we’re at than where we were a year ago.”

Baltimore has had an up-and-down start, but its bullpen has been a bright spot. Relievers such as closer Ryan Helsley (2.53 ERA, seven saves), Rico Garcia (0.68 ERA), Yennier Cano (1.86 ERA) and rookie Anthony Nunez (2.51 ERA) have pitched well over the first month of the season.

Kittredge, a 10-year MLB veteran, has a solid track record and is capable of being a top setup man. Since 2020, he has a 2.65 ERA over 227 appearances, and he's never finished a season with a mark higher than 3.40 during that span.

Manager Craig Albernaz is looking forward to having Kittredge as another piece in the 'pen and was quickly impressed with the righty's stuff last Friday, as he again mostly relied on a sinker that sits around 94-95 mph and a wipeout slider that has been his primary offering in recent years.

"It was great to see him back out there," Albernaz said. "The velo was there with the fastball, great life, sinker had great bite to it. The slider was sharp and firm, and he was throwing strikes."

On Tuesday, Kittredge showcased his veteran poise. After giving up back-to-back hits to open the seventh inning, he later loaded the bases via a one-out intentional walk to Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez.

But Kittredge preserved the O's 4-1 lead by striking out both Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve swinging. Kittredge was laughing a bit while walking off the field after getting Altuve to whiff on an 89.4 mph slider near the top of the strike zone.

"More so laughed that I got away with that last pitch. That last pitch was nowhere near where I wanted to throw it," Kittredge said. "I like to think I threw it with conviction, and that’s what I got by on. But more so just laughing at that with [catcher Adley Rutschman] because it was more like, ‘Man, I got away with that one.’"

It should only help Kittredge to have a high-stress situation early in the season as he gets reacclimated.

"For sure," Kittredge said. "That’s not how I was planning it, but I’m glad it worked out."