SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Orioles appear to have avoided another significant injury situation.
Ryan Mountcastle was hit in the right hand by a pitch during the eighth inning of the O’s 7-2 Grapefruit League win over the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium, prompting an early exit from the contest. The 29-year-old first baseman was plunked with a 90.3 mph changeup from right-hander Justin Meis.
However, the team announced afterward that X-rays on Mountcastle’s hand were negative for a fracture. The Orioles have an off-day on Thursday, so more information on his condition will likely come on Friday.
After getting hit, Mountcastle was immediately in visible discomfort, holding his hand near home plate. He began to walk down the first-base line while getting checked over by a trainer and manager Craig Albernaz before departing.
“He’s sore,” Albernaz said after the game. “I mean, he got hit with a baseball, so it feels like he got hit with a baseball.”
Mountcastle is having a solid spring, hitting .296 (8-for-27) with two doubles and two RBIs over 10 games. He went 0-for-3 with a strikeout prior to his departure on Wednesday.
Although Baltimore signed Pete Alonso to a five-year, $155 million deal to become its starting first baseman, Mountcastle has remained with the club, avoiding arbitration with a $6.787 million deal that included a $7.5 million team option for 2027. He should get some starts at designated hitter in addition to filling in at first when needed and providing right-handed pop off the bench.
The O’s are hoping to avoid more injuries this spring, as they’re already set to open the season without second baseman Jackson Holliday (broken hamate bone in right hand), third baseman Jordan Westburg (partial UCL tear) and likely right-handed setup man Andrew Kittredge (right shoulder inflammation).
Ward wallops first O’s homer
Taylor Ward slugged his first home run in an Orioles uniform, hitting a three-run blast to left-center field in the fifth inning. The 32-year-old outfielder, who was acquired in a trade with the Angels on Nov. 19, pounced on a 2-1 cutter from Pittsburgh righty Noah Davis that was left up in the strike zone.
“You always want to go out there and do good, so I’ll take it,” Ward said. “I definitely hope to build off of it.”
If the 2026 season goes anything like ‘25 did for Ward, he’ll likely do exactly that. In a career-high 157 games for the Angels, he set personal bests for home runs (36), doubles (31) and RBIs (103), while also posting a .792 OPS. It’s why Baltimore wanted to acquire him for the final year of his contract, even if it meant parting with right-hander Grayson Rodriguez.
Ward has six hits (including four extra-base knocks) and six walks in 30 plate appearances this spring.
“He’s valuable because he’s a really good player, and he’s a really good hitter,” Albernaz said. “He just wants to play, and that’s what I love about him.”
Bradish brings the heat
Kyle Bradish strengthened his case to be the Orioles’ 2026 Opening Day starter, tossing five scoreless innings and allowing only one hit vs. the Bucs. The 29-year-old right-hander walked one and struck out two during the 73-pitch outing.
The most encouraging part of Bradish’s third Grapefruit start was his increase in velocity. His max over his first two spring starts was 95.9 mph, a mark he exceeded 16 times in this start. He hit 97-plus seven times, maxing out at 97.5.
Bradish and left-hander Trevor Rogers are the front-runners to start Baltimore’s opener vs. Minnesota on March 26 at Camden Yards, an assignment neither has previously had.
“It’d be a huge honor,” Bradish said. “But anywhere in the rotation is good for me. I’m looking for 30 starts, not just one.”
Classic returnees
Right-hander Dean Kremer (Israel) and outfield prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. (Panama) have returned to O’s camp after participating in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Kremer made one start for Israel, striking out four over 4 1/3 strong innings in a 5-0 win vs. Nicaragua on Sunday. Bradfield (Baltimore’s No. 10 prospect per MLB Pipeline) went 3-for-11 (.273) with one RBI and two stolen bases in three games for Panama.
“It was real cool,” Bradfield said. “Honestly, I was happy I got to experience that.”