Ryan Helsley Fantasy Stats

The Baltimore Orioles announced on Tuesday that they reinstated right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley (elbow) from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Anthony Nunez to Triple-A Norfolk in a corresponding move. Helsey is back in the big-league bullpen after striking out five of the seven batters he faced in two minor-league rehab appearances at Triple-A Norfolk. He ended up missing seven weeks with inflammation in his right elbow. Baltimore could very well ease Helsley back into a late-inning, high-leverage role now that he's back from his injury, but the full expectation is that he'll be manager Craig Albernaz's primary closing option again, pushing Rico Garcia back to a late-inning setup role. Before getting hurt early in the 2026 season, the two-time All-Star was looking good in his first 12 appearances with the O's, allowing three earned runs in 10 2/3 innings with seven saves, 15 strikeouts, and seven walks. Helsley has 112 career saves in his seven-plus big-league seasons. He's rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues. If he's available on your waiver wire, scoop him up immediately.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley (elbow) had another strong minor-league rehab outing for Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday night against Memphis, setting down the order 1-2-3 in the sixth innings while striking out two, according to Jake Rill of MLB.com. Helsley threw nine of his 14 pitches for strikes. In his two rehab appearances for Norfolk, Helsley has tossed two shutout innings with no walks and five strikeouts, and the Orioles might be ready to reinstate him from the 15-day injured list. Before getting hurt, the 31-year-old veteran was looking great as Baltimore's primary closer in 2026, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while walking seven, striking out 15, and recording seven saves in his first 12 appearances for the team. The two-time All-Star appears to be on the verge of rejoining the back end of the Orioles' bullpen, and he should immediately slot back in as manager Craig Albernaz's preferred choice in the ninth inning. Fantasy managers should run to their waiver wire and check if Helsley is available. He's currently rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues.

Baltimore Orioles reliever Ryan Helsley (elbow) is set to make his second rehab appearance with Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday. After tossing a scoreless inning on Thursday, manager Craig Albernaz said the right-handed pitcher feels good enough to pitch again. He will look to build on his first outing, during which his fastball averaged 97.7 miles per hour and topped out at 99.7 mph. He also needed just 14 pitches to retire all three batters he faced, with 12 of those pitches going for strikes. Helsley has been sidelined since the end of April with right elbow inflammation and is aiming to return soon to provide some much-needed stability to the Orioles' bullpen. The 31-year-old has seven saves this season and should provide an immediate boost to fantasy lineups upon his return, which could be sooner rather than later.

Baltimore Orioles closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on Thursday, per Roch Kubatko of MASN. Helsley has been on the 15-day injured list due to elbow inflammation since late April, but he appears to be on the doorstep of a return to the big leagues. Across 10 2/3 innings (12 games) before the injury, Helsley pitched to a 2.53 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and seven saves. While Helsley's 15.2% walk rate in a small sample size is a bit of a concern, he averaged 98.9 miles per hour on his fastball and struck out 32.6% of the batters he faced. Upon his return, he should slot back in as the primary closer in Baltimore.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley (elbow) threw a live bullpen session on the field at Camden Yards on Monday, according to Matt Weywrich of The Baltimore Sun. It is potentially his last step before going on a minor-league rehab assignment. The 31-year-old is finally getting close to a return to the back end of Baltimore's bullpen after being sidelined since May 1 with inflammation in his right elbow. If Helsley can avoid a setback on his rehab assignment, he could come off the 15-day injured list early next week. The two-time All-Star was looking ready to bounce back after struggling with the New York Mets in 2025 following a midseason trade, allowing three earned runs with seven walks, 15 strikeouts, and seven saves in his first 12 appearances out of the bullpen with the O's before his elbow injury. The O's might ease Helsley back into save situations, but in the long run, he's their best clear option for saves in 2026. Until he returns, Rico Garcia has been manager Craig Albernaz's favorite option in save situations.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) completed his first bullpen session on May 30 at Camden Yards, throwing 15 to 20 pitches. He threw another bullpen on June 5 in Toronto and could start a minor-league rehab assignment next week, according to MLB.com. Helsley has been on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 29) since May 1 with right-elbow inflammation, but his return to the O's bullpen could be right around the corner if he avoids a setback during his rehab assignment. The hard-throwing right-hander was Baltimore's clear-cut closer to begin the 2026 season before he injured his elbow, and he should immediately return to that role once he's reinstated from the IL. Before going down, Helsley was 0-2 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, seven saves, 15 walks, and seven walks in 10 2/3 innings to start his Orioles tenure. Until he returns, Rico Garcia has emerged as manager Craig Albernaz's primary saves option out of the bullpen. Helsley is currently rostered in 84% of Yahoo leagues.

Ryan Helsley (elbow) progressed through a bullpen session on Saturday, throwing between 15 and 20 pitches. This was his first bullpen session since being limited to playing catch for several weeks. It was reported that the 31-year-old closer is nearing the start of a rehab assignment, although no specific timeline was provided. How he recovers from this session will be a key indicator of how quickly the team can advance his recovery process. Helsley last pitched on April 28 before landing on the injured list. He had been perfect up to that point, converting all seven of his save opportunities this season, and is expected to reclaim the closer's role once he is activated from the injured list.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) played catch on Friday for the first time since landing on the 15-day injured list, and he is feeling much better, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. Helsley landed on the shelf on May 1. It's good news that he's throwing, but he still has some boxes to check and will most likely need a short minor-league rehab assignment before he can rejoin the back end of Baltimore's bullpen. The 31-year-old former fifth-round pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2015 out of Northeastern State University is a two-time All-Star who led the league with 49 saves in 2024. Helsley also had 21 saves for St. Louis last year before being traded to the New York Mets and falling apart in 22 appearances. He was bouncing back in Baltimore before his elbow injury, striking out 15 while picking up seven saves in his first 10 2/3 innings. Keep him stashed in all fantasy leagues, as he should immediately take over closing duties upon his return. In the meantime, Rico Garcia has proven to be an elite short-term source of saves for fantasy managers.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) has not resumed throwing as he recovers from right-elbow inflammation that landed him on the 15-day injured list on May 1, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. The good news is that Helsley did some running drills at Camden Yards over the weekend. He will not be ready to come off the IL when he's eligible this week, so fantasy managers must remain patient with the 31-year-old veteran reliever. In his 12 appearances (10 2/3 innings) for the O's this year before his injury, Helsley went 0-2 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, seven saves, 15 strikeouts, and seven walks. Helsley had a league-high 49 saves in 2024 with the St. Louis Cardinals and was named to his second All-Star team, but he struggled in 2025 after being traded to the New York Mets. He should be stashed in an IL spot while he recovers and will return to closing duties in Baltimore when he's ready. Rico Garcia has both of the team's saves since Helsley landed on the shelf, and he's the team's primary short-term option for saves.

Baltimore Orioles closer Ryan Helsley (elbow) will be re-evaluated later this week to determine if he is ready to resume throwing, per Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun. Helsley was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday due to elbow discomfort, but an MRI on the elbow came back clean. The 31-year-old was off to a strong start to his first season in Baltimore before getting injured, pitching to a 2.53 ERA and 1.31 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and 7 saves across 10 2/3 innings. If Helsley continues to progress without any further setbacks, he may have a chance to return from the injured list as soon as he's eligible in mid-May. In his absence, Orioles right-hander Rico Garcia looks like the favorite to see save opportunities in Baltimore.