SARASOTA, Fla. -- The injury bug has returned to Orioles camp, as one of the team’s top bullpen arms is hurt, with his Opening Day status now in jeopardy.
Andrew Kittredge has been dealing with right shoulder inflammation, manager Craig Albernaz said Wednesday morning, and the club plans to be cautious with the 35-year-old right-hander’s recovery process. Because of that, Kittredge has a “low probability” of being ready to go when Baltimore opens the season on March 26 vs. Minnesota at Camden Yards.
If Kittredge begins the year on the injured list, he will be sidelined alongside second baseman Jackson Holliday (broken hamate bone in right hand) and third baseman Jordan Westburg (partial right UCL tear).
“We kind of slowed down his progression,” Albernaz said. “It creeped up his last outing here, and so, we just want to do right by him and make sure we get that knocked out.”
Kittredge has made only one Grapefruit League appearance for the O’s this spring. On Feb. 25, he allowed three runs (two earned) on one hit (a home run) and one walk while striking out one. His velocity was also noticeably down during the 23-pitch performance.
This is the second consecutive year Kittredge has dealt with an injury during Spring Training with the Orioles. Last year, he underwent left knee debridement surgery on March 8. That caused him to go on the IL and not make his 2025 debut until May 21.
Kittredge went on to post a 3.45 ERA in 31 appearances for the O’s, who then dealt him to the Cubs on July 31 ahead of the Trade Deadline. He had a 3.32 ERA in 23 games with Chicago, which traded him back to Baltimore on Nov. 4.
A nine-year MLB veteran with a solid track record, Kittredge was expected to serve as the primary setup man in front of new Orioles closer Ryan Helsley. Instead, another spot has opened in what has been a wide-open bullpen competition this spring.
One player who could help offset the temporary loss of Kittredge is right-hander Tyler Wells, who Albernaz confirmed will be in the bullpen to open the season. Wells has mostly been a starter over the past four seasons -- pitching to a 3.96 ERA in 55 games (50 starts) -- but he has relief experience, having worked exclusively out of the ‘pen as a Rule 5 rookie in 2021.
Baltimore’s rotation landscape has become quite crowded, so it makes sense to move Wells, whose three Grapefruit outings this spring have all been scoreless one-inning appearances.
“He can pitch leverage. He has the stuff for it, he has the makeup,” Albernaz said. “But also, he can pitch early in the game, too. And that’s, to me, where a high-functioning bullpen can start to form, is where you have guys that are Swiss Army knives that can do a lot of stuff, and Wells fits that mold.”
Bautista throws for first time
Coming off of surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum last Aug. 20, right-hander Félix Bautista took a notable step in his recovery on Tuesday. The 30-year-old closer threw 25 pitches on flat ground from about 45 feet, and he said he felt good afterward on Wednesday.
If Bautista pitches this year, it is unlikely to be until September. The Orioles are going slow with the righty, who remains optimistic he’ll get a chance to rejoin the bullpen at some point.
“I feel really good right now,” Bautista said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “My arm feels really good, and hopefully, if things continue to progress well -- like they have been -- I’ll be able to pitch sometime this year. Or at least, I’m hoping for that.”
Bautista had a 2.60 ERA and 19 saves in 35 games last year after he missed all of the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he had in October 2023.
Holliday update
On Thursday, Holliday will swing a bat using both hands for the first time since undergoing surgery to remove the fractured hook of hamate bone in his right hand on Feb. 12.
“Can’t wait,” said a smiling Holliday, who had been fielding grounders and taking one-handed swings for the past week.
The O’s don’t anticipate Holliday playing in any Grapefruit games before breaking camp on March 21, so his timeline for a return is still around mid-April.