Orioles’ Kyle Bradish strikes out 10 in 6 innings in his return from Tommy John surgery

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles have an eye on next season, and in that sense this was a good night.

Although the Orioles lost 5-0 to the Boston Red Sox on Tuedsay, Kyle Bradish struck out 10 in six innings in an impressive return from Tommy John surgery. Bradish allowed just four hits, although two were solo homers and he exited down 2-0. It was the right-hander’s first start since June 14, 2024.

“Super thrilled with what he did,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “He was pretty hyped up.”

Trevor Story and David Hamilton homered off Bradish in the second and third innings. Nathaniel Lowe hit a single in the fourth. Roman Anthony added another hit in the sixth, then was retired as part of a double play.

Bradish threw 81 pitches, 51 for strikes, and had at least one strikeout in every inning. He did not walk a batter.

“There was definitely a lot of emotions throughout the whole day,” Bradish said. “Just looking back at kind of the journey that I’ve been on for the past 14 months to get back to where I am here.”

Bradish went 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA in 2023, when the Orioles won the AL East. Last season was cut short, and he returns to a Baltimore team that’s in last place. Pitching has been a big part of the team’s decline. Grayson Rodriguez hasn’t pitched at all this season, and only now is the 28-year-old Bradish able to help.

Bradish maxed out at 97.8 mph, and his sinker averaged 95.2. He got 13 whiffs on 32 swings.

Both home runs came on his first pitch of an inning.

“There was two ambushed pitches — they put swings on two bad pitches,” he said. “It kind of put it in perspective that you can’t really take a pitch off up here. That happened today. It was a good reminder of how good these hitters are.”

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