More possible Orioles spring training storylines

The Orioles play their first spring training game on Feb. 22 against the Pirates in Sarasota. We're waiting for the report dates.

Here are a few more topics that should garner a lot of interest.

Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells.

We have a tendency to lump together players for certain reasons, like anytime that the Orioles bring two Rule 5 picks to camp.

Injuries create a similar dynamic.

Bradish and Wells will be dragged into the same stories because of their recoveries from elbow surgery. Bradish underwent a Tommy John procedure on June 19. Wells got a head start with his “ulnar collateral ligament surgery with internal brace augmentation” two days earlier.

(It’s so wordy that it’s earned the quotation marks.)

Does that put Wells two days ahead in returning to the active roster? The gap could be much larger.

Wells’ surgery is an alternative to Tommy John that brings the potential for a quicker recovery. He underwent the more traditional UCL repair in the minors with the Twins, which can require 14 to 18 months for recovery. The internal brace augmentation is closer to 12 months.

Bradish was cruising along before the surgery, which felt inevitable after his platelet-rich plasma injection in January. He made eight starts, posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.068 WHIP with 53 strikeouts in 39 1/3 innings, tossed seven hitless in Chicago and was finished after June 14. Elbow pain felt like a massive gut-punch for the Orioles.

Wells was in the rotation because Bradish didn’t debut until May 2. He lasted three starts before the Orioles shut him down. Both sides believed that it would be temporary, that it was done “for precautionary reasons.”

“We’re really confident he’s going to be OK and it’s not going to be too long,” manager Brandon Hyde said in April.

Wells relayed the same message to media during an April road trip, but the arm didn’t bounce back.

Both pitchers will be pressed for health updates at spring training and possible timelines for their returns, which either won’t exist or be shared. Gotta ask anyway.

Grayson Rodriguez.

There’s a lat … I mean, a lot … to cover with Rodriguez.

Rodriguez allowed three earned runs in six innings against the Blue Jays on July 31 and didn’t pitch again. He went on the injured list retroactive to Aug. 4 with a right lat/teres strain after missing three weeks earlier in the season with right shoulder inflammation.

The second injury was noticed as Rodriguez threw in the outfield before a scheduled start in Toronto. The Orioles shut him down and tried to get him ready for a late-September return that also would put him in the Wild Card rotation. Rodriguez kept grabbing his glove and heading outdoors for bullpen sessions, apologizing to media that crept to his locker, but he never progressed to facing live hitters.

Hyde announced on Sept. 25 that the club ran out of time with Rodriguez. He added that Rodriguez didn’t experience a setback. It just became impossible for Rodriguez to build up innings and get stretched out, especially with the minor league season ending.

The media didn’t get a chance to ask Rodriguez for updates before the news or to get a reaction afterward. Mark him down as a priority.

Anything and everything Jackson Holliday.

Holliday made his major league debut in 2023 but he didn’t break camp with the team. We won’t forget the outrage. And Holliday isn’t guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster after batting .189/.255/.311 in 60 games.

We need to know how he feels about his chances. What he worked on at home. How he looks at the plate and at second base. Whether he's still ditched the leg kick. How many times a week he played Golden Tee, and did he have it shipped to the Ed Smith Stadium complex.

It’s all on the table.

It also might be a bit redundant if any of these Orioles attend the Birdland Caravan, assuming another one is scheduled, but that won't stop media from seeking the latest updates.