Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Could resume throwing this week
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Helsley (elbow) could be cleared to resume a throwing program later this week, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Helsley was placed on the 15-day injured list this past Friday with right elbow inflammation. Imaging on the closer's elbow came back clean, and he might be ready to throw in a few days after being re-evaluated. Rico Garcia is the top candidate for saves in the Orioles bullpen while Helsely is out, though Yennier Cano, Andrew Kittredge and Anthony Nunez could also be in the mix.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: No structural damage in elbow
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Imaging on Helsley's right elbow came back negative Friday, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Manager Craig Albernaz said that he isn't too concerned about Helsley's elbow now that the team knows he isn't dealing with any structural damage. He added that the 31-year-old reliever has been dealing with elbow discomfort for the past week but thought the issue would subside on its own. Helsley is now set to remain sidelined until at least May 15, though Albernaz's comments suggest he may not need much more than a minimum-length stay on the IL. In the meantime, Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano figure to be the leading candidates for saves in Baltimore.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Placed on injured list
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The Orioles placed Helsley on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday.
Helsley threw a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to lock down his seventh save of the season, but he appears to have come away from his latest outing with an elbow issue that will force him to spend at least two weeks on the shelf. Albert Suarez will come up from Triple-A Norfolk to fill the open spot in Baltimore's bullpen; meanwhile, Rico Garcia (0.66 ERA) and Yennier Cano (1.69 ERA) could see an increase in save opportunities while Helsley is on the shelf.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Notches seventh save
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Helsley worked a perfect ninth inning Tuesday without striking anyone out to record his seventh save of the season in a 5-3 win over the Astros.
Two flyouts and a failed bunt attempt by Jose Altuve got the job done for Helsley, who's a perfect 7-for-7 in converting save chances to begin the year. The right-hander appears to have put last season's troubles with the Mets mostly behind him, and through 10.2 innings for the Orioles he's delivered a 2.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 15:7 K:BB.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Returns from bereavement list
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The Orioles reinstated Helsley (personal) from the bereavement/family medical emergency list Sunday.
Helsley was away from the team for four days to deal with a personal matter. He'll now return to the squad and should immediately reclaim Baltimore's closer role. The Orioles designated pitcher Albert Suarez for assignment in a corresponding move.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Secures sixth save
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Helsley walked one and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Friday to record his sixth save of the season in a 6-4 win over the Guardians.
The right-hander continues to get the job done as the Orioles' closer, and Helsley has converted all six of his save chances to begin the season. Last year's homer issues also have yet to resurface -- after he served up nine long balls over 56 innings in 2025 between the Cardinals and Mets, leading to a 4.50 ERA, Helsley has yet to be taken deep over 8.1 innings in 2026 while producing a 2.16 ERA.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Locks down fifth save
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Helsley picked up the save Monday against the Diamondbacks, throwing a clean ninth inning. He struck out two.
Helsley didn't face much opposition Monday, firing eight of his 12 offerings for strikes. The hard-throwing right-hander is off to a promising start in his Orioles tenure overall, successfully converting each of his first five save chances while posting a 2.84 ERA. That said, Helsley does have a concerning 1.74 WHIP and 9:4 K:BB over 6.1 innings, so he hasn't necessarily been a lights-out closer.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Converts second save
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Helsley earned the save in Sunday's 8-6 win over the Twins, allowing one hit while logging a strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning.
Things got a little dicey for Helsley in the ninth inning. After Luke Keaschall led off the frame with a single, the Twins got the tying runs on base with two outs following a Gunnar Henderson error. However, Helsley was able to coax a flyout off the bat of James Outman, preserving the two-run victory while converting his second save in as many chances this season. Helsley has allowed just two hits and no walks while striking out four through his first two innings with the Orioles.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: To be used only in save situations
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Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Friday that he plans to use Helsley strictly in ninth-inning save situations this season, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
There will be some instances when Helsley will be required to pitch in non-save situations, but Albernaz views the righty as a "one-inning guy" rather than someone who could come into games earlier for more than three outs. While it will result in a lighter workload for Helsley, it's probably the best thing for his fantasy outlook.
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Orioles' Ryan Helsley: Signs with Baltimore
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Helsley signed a two-year, $28 million contract with the Orioles on Saturday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Helsley's new deal will also give him the ability to opt out after the first season. Multiple teams were pursuing the right-hander with hopes of converting him to a starter, but Passan states that Helsley will remain in a closing role upon joining the Orioles. The 31-year-old got off to a strong start this past season in St. Louis, posting a 3.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP alongside 41:14 K:BB across 36 innings and tallying 21 saves. He then regressed considerably after being traded to the Mets and finished the year giving up 16 earned runs over his final 20 frames. Despite his poor finish, Helsley still boasts a career 2.96 ERA and is just one year removed from tallying an MLB-high 49 saves in 2024, keeping him worthy of fantasy attention next season.
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Ryan Helsley: Most comfortable in ninth inning
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Helsley has received inquiries from teams about transitioning to the rotation, but he is more comfortable in a closer's role, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Roughly 15 teams have contacted the free agent righty, per the report, and the Tigers view Helsley as a potential starting pitcher. He is considering adding a two-seamer or changeup to his arsenal in 2026 to be less predictable, and another pitch would aid him in a move to the rotation, but Helsley has been a reliever for the last six years. "I know what I'm capable of as a reliever," Helsley said. "I think I still have a lot to give and can get even better. I've shown what I can do as a closer when I'm in that role. It's a really fun time to be in the game. It's the most important three outs of the game, but I still think I'm capable and able to be a starter."
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Believes he's tipping pitches
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Helsley thinks his struggles since joining the Mets are a result of tipping pitches, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports. "I think I know how to fix it," the right-hander said Thursday. "So it's just being able to enforce that and that being my mental norm versus what I was doing to get my body to accept that and reinforce that."
The former Cardinals closer has a brutal 10.38 ERA, 2.31 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB in 8.2 innings with the Mets, and he's been tagged with multiple earned runs in four of his last six appearances. "It definitely stinks," Helsley said. "I've never gone through anything like this in my career." He's still looking for his first hold for New York after being acquired at the trade deadline to be the top set-up man for Edwin Diaz, instead taking three losses and getting charged with four blown saves.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Charged with ninth blown save
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Helsley was charged with a blown save Tuesday against Philadelphia, allowing two runs on one hit and two walks in one-third of an inning. He struck out one.
The poor performance came in the eighth inning, as Helsley continues to struggle in a setup role with the Mets. The hard-throwing right-hander now has a disastrous 10.38 ERA, 2.31 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB over 8.2 innings for New York. It wouldn't be surprising to see the club use Helsley in lower-leverage situations until he bounces back.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Struggles with new team continue
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Helsley (3-3) took the loss Thursday against Atlanta, giving up two runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of relief. He failed to strike out a batter.
Called upon to protect a 3-2 lead in the eighth inning, Helsley issued a one-out walk before serving up back-to-back doubles to Michael Harris and Ozzie Albies. Helsley has had a rough start to his tenure as Edwin Diaz's main setup man, coughing up seven runs (albeit only three earned) over six appearances and five innings while getting charged with two blown saves and two losses. The Mets won't give up on the trade-deadline acquisition, but Helsley could begin to cede eighth-inning duties to other relievers until he gets back on track.
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Mets' Ryan Helsley: Strikes out side in Queens debut
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Helsley gave up two hits and struck out three in a scoreless ninth inning during Friday's extra-inning loss to the Giants.
Acquired from the Cardinals at the trade deadline, Helsley was impressive in his Mets debut, with seven of his 16 pitches (14 strikes) topping 100 mph. The right-hander will immediately slot in as the top setup man in front of closer Edwin Diaz, and while Helsley had a shaky start to his 2025 campaign, he's been in elite form over the last six weeks or so, posting a 0.75 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 14:2 K:BB over his last 12 innings.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Escapes with save
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Helsley allowed a hit and a walk in a scoreless inning while earning a save against Atlanta on Sunday. He struck out one batter.
Helsley put two runners on base with no outs but escaped the jam and finished off the 5-4 win. After blowing three straight chances in early June, he's converted six straight while allowing only one run over his last eight outings. Helsley owns a 3.27 ERA and a 36:14 K:BB while converting 19 of his 24 save chances this season.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Secures save No. 17
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Helsley struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner in a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save Saturday against the Cubs.
Helsley entered for the ninth inning with a two-run cushion and needed just 11 pitches to retire the side in order. The right-hander has now converted his last four save chances and has given up one run with a 7:0 K:BB across his past six appearances.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Cruises to 16th save
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Helsley recorded a save against the Guardians on Saturday, striking out one batter in a perfect ninth inning.
Helsley got a relatively easy save chance, as he entered in the ninth inning with St. Louis holding a three-run lead. He came through with a stress-free frame, retiring all three batters he faced on 11 pitches. This was Helsley's third straight scoreless appearance following a rough stretch to begin June in which he gave up at least one earned run in four consecutive outings. While he's had some struggles this season, Helsley is tied for 11th in the majors with 16 saves in 21 opportunities.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Holds on for 15th save
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Helsley picked up the save in Tuesday's 8-7 victory over the Cubs, allowing two hits in a scoreless ninth inning. He struck out one.
June has certainly been a dicey stretch for Helsley, who's now yielded two knocks in five of his seven outings this month, but he was able to hang on for his 15th save Tuesday. The hard-throwing right-hander had blown three straight save opportunities prior to successfully converting his past two chances, so that should offer fantasy managers some optimism going forward. Helsey sports a 3.54 ERA and 33:12 K:BB over 28 innings, but his 1.46 WHIP looms as a cause for concern.
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Cardinals' Ryan Helsley: Secures 14th save
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Helsley earned the save in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the White Sox, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.
Helsley was called upon to protect a 5-4 lead in the ninth and needed just 10 pitches to secure his first save since May 31. It was an encouraging outing for the 30-year-old, who had blown three straight save chances and allowed a run in each of his previous four June appearances. On the season, he's 14-for-19 in save opportunities with a 3.81 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 31:12 K:BB across 26 innings.
