Orioles closer Ryan Helsley avoids elbow surgery but won’t throw until August

Baltimore Orioles closer Ryan Helsley has dodged the worst-case scenario with his elbow, but he’s still looking at a long recovery ahead. The team announced he was placed on the injured list with elbow inflammation earlier this week, and now we know it’s not a ligament tear.

According to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, Helsley confirmed there’s no damage to his UCL. Just inflammation. Same issue that landed him on the IL back in April. That earlier stint cost him nearly seven weeks, from April 29 to June 16. He made five appearances after returning, covering 4.2 innings with a 7.71 ERA, two losses, a blown save and one actual save. He gave up six hits, two walks and three homers while striking out six.

Helsley said he doesn’t plan to throw until August. The goal is to let the elbow rest fully so this doesn’t become a recurring problem or something that requires surgery down the line. He’s hopeful it stays that way.

This is the second time this season he’s gone on the IL with right elbow inflammation, and the timing is brutal for a team already fighting to stay relevant. The Orioles are 45-51, sitting dead last in the AL East, 12.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. But here’s the thing — they’re only two games back of the final wild card spot in the American League. So they’re not out of it. Not yet.

Manager says they’re taking it slow

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz addressed the situation after Helsley was placed on the IL, per MLB.com’s Jake Rill. Albernaz said the team is being cautious with him, that they want to avoid anything drastic happening. He’s in good spirits, as he could be, Albernaz said. Obviously, he wants to be out there pitching with us, and he understands when he’s not out there it’s a whole different look in the bullpen. He wants to be out there competing with us and with the boys.

The injury popped up while Helsley was warming up on July 2. He hasn’t pitched since June 27. That gap alone told the team something wasn’t right, and the MRI results backed it up. No ligament damage, but enough inflammation to shut him down for weeks.

What this means for the bullpen

Without Helsley, Baltimore’s bullpen loses its most reliable late-inning arm. The Orioles are in the middle of a series with Kansas City, going for a sweep Sunday afternoon. They need to keep winning if they want to stay in the wild card conversation. And they’ll have to do it without their closer for at least another month.

Helsley said he’s glad he doesn’t need surgery right now. He hopes it stays that way. But with two IL stints for the same elbow issue in one season, it’s fair to wonder if the problem is deeper than just inflammation. For now, the Orioles are taking his word for it and hoping rest does the trick.