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How Kyle Bradish Did During His Rehab Assignment

Originally posted on New Baseball Media
By Chris Studley | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 10:19 AM ET

It’s been a difficult year for the Orioles, a team that entered play on August 25 with a 60-70 record after making the postseason in 2023 and 2024. There have been positives, though, namely with the likes of Trevor Rogers and Jackson Holliday. And, the O’s might have another one on their hands when Kyle Bradish, who missed all of the Birds’ 2025 season thus far with Tommy John recovery, makes his return to the Majors.

The numbers

Kyle Bradish, at least from a strikeouts standpoint, did just fine. The right-hander struck out 25 over 22 innings between three levels (High-A, Double-A, Triple-A). Most of his work came with Norfolk (AAA), as he made four starts (16.1 IP) with the Tides.

The first of his four starts with the Tides saw him give up five earned runs and six hits (one home run) across three innings, back on August 3. Less than two weeks later, Bradish had his best outing, as he struck out nine over five scoreless innings against Jacksonville on August 14.

Now, from an advanced point of view, Bradish’s numbers were not bad at all.

Bradish missed bats at a rate of 27.3% in Triple-A (recorded stats). His fastball velocity was fine, as well. The two-seamer, which is a high-carrying pitch as opposed to a sinker, averaged 95.1 MPH with the Tides. That’s about on par with the 95.3 MPH he averaged pre-Tommy John.

Additionally, his stuff looked roughly on par from a movement standpoint. The four-seamer had its typical cut-carry action and sat in the mid-90s, again on par with where he was in 2024.

Kyle Bradish 2025 AAA Pitch Movement Hitters batted .171 off Bradish’s slider in 2024, a pitch that runs away from same-sided hitters significantly. (via New Baseball Media)

Looking ahead

For the Orioles, having a healthy Bradish over the last month can give the team a major boost heading into 2026.

One of the overarching storylines this season has been the pitching staff for the team, particularly the rotation. The Orioles lost Corbin Burnes in the winter and sought to soften the blow by filling out the rotation with veterans like Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano on short-term deals.

The loss of Burnes, who underwent Tommy John surgery this summer, would have likely felt better had the team had a healthy Grayson Rodriguez. However, the young right-hander dealt with numerous injuries this season and won’t pitch at all until 2026.

If Bradish can do what he did over the 2023-24 campaigns — spin the baseball effectively and limit hard contact, all while stranding runners on base — the Orioles should have one less thing to worry about heading into the winter.

This article first appeared on New Baseball Media and was syndicated with permission.

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