Akin (groin) hits IL as O's final bullpen spots go to Hiraldo, Nunez

BALTIMORE -- The Orioles’ bullpen will be without its top left-hander to open the 2026 season.

On Wednesday, Baltimore placed Keegan Akin on the 15-day injured list due to a left groin strain. The 30-year-old southpaw sustained the injury this past Saturday, when he slipped in the bullpen while warming up during the O’s Grapefruit League matchup vs. the Phillies in Sarasota, Fla.

Akin is among seven Orioles players to begin the season on the IL. He and right-hander Andrew Kittredge (right shoulder inflammation) are on the 15-day IL, with infielders Jackson Holliday (broken hamate bone in right hand), Jordan Westburg (partial right UCL tear) and outfielder Heston Kjerstad (right hamstring strain) on the 10-day IL.

Right-handers Félix Bautista (right shoulder surgery) and Colin Selby (right shoulder inflammation) were already on the 60-day injured list. Meanwhile, outfielder Dylan Beavers (right knee soreness) avoided the IL and was included on Baltimore’s 26-man Opening Day roster.

The O’s had been hoping for better health after using the IL 39 times for 29 players during an injury-plagued 2025 campaign. But they believe they have improved depth heading into ‘26.

Akin has been a reliable bullpen arm for much of his six-year MLB career, all of which has been spent in Baltimore. He had a 3.41 ERA in 64 games (three starts) last season and owns a 3.64 ERA in 199 outings over the past four years.

Baltimore’s bullpen has two lefties in Dietrich Enns and Grant Wolfram. It’s possible the 29-year-old Wolfram will emerge as the top left-handed option, as he is coming off a spring in which he tossed six scoreless innings in six games with 10 strikeouts and one walk.

With Akin and Kittredge hitting the IL, the final two bullpen spots went to righties Yaramil Hiraldo and Anthony Nunez (Baltimore's No. 25 prospect per MLB Pipeline). The moves were a bit unexpected, because Hiraldo had a Minor League option remaining and Nunez was optioned to Minors camp on March 8. But the O's chose them over righties Jackson Kowar (who was designated for assignment) and Albert Suárez (who was reassigned to Triple-A Norfolk).

Nunez made a strong impression in Spring Training, tossing five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks over five Grapefruit League appearances. The righty was one of three players acquired from the Mets in the Cedric Mullins trade last July 31.

• How Nunez went from pro infielder to collegian to lights-out pitcher

"It's a great feeling just being here and being with the guys to help the team win," said Nunez, whose first appearance will be his MLB debut. "I can't express my feelings right now. It's just so much excitement, so much gratitude, and just ready to go."

The Orioles will be looking to see who can handle high-leverage spots with no set roles in the relief corps outside of new closer Ryan Helsley.

"To start the year, guys are going to pitch kind of all over the place," first-year manager Craig Albernaz said. "Then, as the season goes on, usually the bullpen guys tend to pitch themselves into roles. And that's where, I think, when you raise the floor of the bullpen, when you have a high-functioning bullpen, you have the majority of guys out there that can pitch in leverage.

"That's what we want to get to. We want to develop and have a bunch of leverage options from our guys, and all of the guys in our bullpen have that ability."