Calling the Pen: Time for the Orioles to call it a season for Kyle Bradish

Ben McDonald could feel Kyle Bradish’s frustration. The Orioles’ ace who hasn’t been one for a while was getting hammered by the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday. On his 30th birthday, the right-hander who was given a five-year, $90 million extension by the Orioles on July 18th, lasted only three innings, giving up five runs on eight hits, plus two walks.

The Orioles couldn’t overcome the early deficit and lost, 7-3, to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. With only 13 games remaining, the Orioles (72-76) remain three games behind Cleveland for the third and final wild-card spot. They’re also a game behind the Blue Jays. They were hoping Bradish would follow Friday’s 7-4 win with a strong outing to keep their faint playoff hopes alive, but that didn’t happen.

McDonald, a former first-round pick by the Orioles out of LSU whose commentary on MASN is both funny and insightful, cited Bradish’s issue. “He has no feel for the breaking ball,” McDonald said. He pointed out that seven of Toronto’s eight hits were on the fastball. “They were sitting on the fastball,” McDonald said.

“Terrible, giving up way too much damage,” Bradish told reporters in Toronto. “Putting our team in a big hole to start the game, so it’s not good. It’s been a tough six weeks.”

Bradish has allowed at least five earned runs in three of his last nine starts. He’s also been unable to get through five innings five times during that stretch.

Bradish has thrown 155 innings after pitching just 32 in 2025 and 39 1/3 in 2024 because of Tommy John surgery.

Watching him on Saturday, it seems past time that the Orioles shut him down as a preventive measure. Manager Craig Albernaz wasn’t ready to go there after the game, though.

“We talk through everything and everything is on the table,” Albernaz told reporters. “But, with KB, he’s such a competitor and he’s been our guy all year. We feel comfortable giving him the ball every time he pitches.”

Bradish, who’s now 7-14 with a 4.12 ERA, denied fatigue was a factor for his declining performance. “My arm feels great,” he told reporters.

But he’s not great. He has given up 156 hits in 155 innings, and has 142 strikeouts against 69 walks. Those aren’t the stats of an ace, and his performances down the stretch should concern the Orioles. Even if his arm feels good, the Orioles should shut him down for his own good. He’s too valuable to risk injury for a long-shot playoff chance that grows dimmer by the day.