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.
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.
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 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.
“We’re going to use all of our relievers in the highest leverage spots,” first-year manager Craig Albernaz said earlier this week. “In my opinion, that’s how you build the floor of the bullpen, putting those guys in those situations. ... We want all of our guys -- and all of our guys are fully capable enough and talented enough -- to pitch in high-leverage moments.”
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.