Andrew Kittredge injury offers big opportunity for these 3 Orioles relievers

The Orioles roster is somehow already being decimated by injuries and we're hardly past the first week of March. We've got Gunnar Henderson out with an intercostal strain, Grayson Rodriguez dealing with a triceps issue, Tyler O'Neill out with a rib cage injury, and now we've learned that Andrew Kittredge will have to go under the knife to have an arthroscopic procedure to address a cartilage problem in his left knee.

While the hitters should hopefully return for Opening Day, Kittredge in particular will need a bit of time to recover. For now, the timeline looks to be at least a couple months, so by the time he gets ramped back up to 100% we might be getting close to June, or potentially later if he has any setbacks. It's not always fun to write these types of articles but some of the guys in the organization do stand to benefit from the O's losing one of their expected high-leverage relievers. Who might benefit the most?

The most obvious answer here is righty Seranthony Dominguez, who functioned as the Orioles' closer down the stretch in 2024. With Félix Bautista returning in 2025, Dominguez was slated to be pushed back down in the list of options. However, the O's are going to limit Bautista's usage, which in and of itself was going to give Dominguez a few more opportunities. With Kittredge out, Dominguez once again becomes one of the guys Brandon Hyde is most likely to rely on in big spots this year.

Dominguez had some ups and downs in 2024. He got a bit unlucky with home runs, but he also allowed a literal truckload of fly balls, so that's not entirely unexpected. Regardless of whether he can keep the spot all year, while Kittredge is out Dominguez is going to be the first guy out of the gate outside of Bautista. Here's to hoping that he makes the most of the opportunity.

Andrew Kittredge's injury creates an opening in the back of the Orioles' bullpen

A bit further down the roster, the absence of Kittredge will open a spot in the Orioles bullpen. As of right now, that spot might be Bryan Baker's to lose. The 30 year old was an effective reliever in 2022 and 2023 but took a step back last year and posted a 5.01 ERA in just 23.1 major league innings. However, Baker has a career 3.25 FIP and is out of minor league options so there's a real chance he makes the roster out of camp.

Baker won't immediately work in high-leverage situations but the roster opening is there nonetheless. Baker has the right combination of experience and lack of roster flexibility to earn the job, assuming he's pitching well. If all goes right, Baker could secure his spot on the major league roster for the foreseeable future with a strong stretch of performance.

After Baker, it's fair to argue that the next man up could be the newly acquired Roansy Contreras. The righty has drifted around the league this winter, getting claimed off waivers five times, twice by the Orioles. He hasn't been effective in limited work this spring but he's shown enough potential during his major league career that he could earn the opportunity if Baker struggles.

The other thing Contreras has going for him is that he used to work as a starter, meaning he can likely stretch out for a couple innings at a whack. With Grayson Rodriguez's status up in the air, adding someone like Contreras who can either pitch single innings, or function as a bulk arm out of the bullpen, absolutely has it's merits. He's going to have to pitch better over the next few weeks in order to earn the spot, but Kittredge's injury at least gives Contreras the pathway to the majors that he's been hoping for.