SARASOTA, Fla. – Reliever Andrew Kittredge is walking around the Orioles clubhouse without crutches or a brace on his surgically repaired left knee. A black sleeve is the only evidence that something is different.
Kittredge underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure Friday to repair cartilage in the knee, with Dr. Leigh Ann Curl handling the procedure in Baltimore. He could miss most or all of the first half.
“Not really sure,” he said this morning while sitting at his locker. “It was a broad timeline, I guess. According to the doctor, the real thing that kind of drives the timeline is if the swelling can go down and so far I haven’t had much swelling, so I think that’s really encouraging on that front.
“I know the original timeline was kind of June to All-Star break, so it was kind of broad in that sense, but everything so far is leading to believe that it will be on the earlier side of that. But it’s a little more probably on the trainers and how it’s going as it unfolds, I guess.”
Kittredge said he’s never experienced any issues with his knees, and this year marks his ninth in the majors and 15th in professional ball. The discomfort became noticeable around the time of the live batting practice sessions.
“I just felt a little kind of annoyance, but it wasn’t anything that was really keeping me off the field,” he said. “That happened for a week and a half or so and then really calmed down actually, to the point where I wasn’t getting treatment for it anymore.”
Kittredge made his first and only exhibition appearance on Feb. 26. He warmed in the Ed Smith Stadium bullpen on March 1 but couldn’t pitch.
“It just kind of grabbed on me,” he said. “At the time I was still kind of thinking it wasn’t much. Just wanted to be cautious. And then the MRI revealed that it was just a little piece of cartilage growth that was getting inflamed and irritated, and the doctor’s recommendation was that we take care of it now, because she said it’s just really hard to predict when it would come back. And she said more than likely it would come back at some point, so this was really the only way to predict how it was going to do was just to go in and trim it out.”
An analogy would be comparing the growth to a stone in a shoe. Sometimes you feel it, other times you don’t. But surgery isn’t needed to remove the stone.
The Orioles signed Kittredge, who turns 35 next week, to a deal guaranteeing $10 million and including a $1 million buyout on next year’s $9 million option.
He spent parts of seven seasons with Rays before making a career-high 74 appearances with the Cardinals last summer and posting a 2.80 ERA in 70 2/3 innings.
Bryan Baker could be the choice to replace Kittredge on Opening Day. He retired all nine batters faced until surrendering three solo home runs in his last appearance.
Gunnar Henderson took ground balls today for the first time since straining his right intercostal, a ribcage muscle. He hasn’t played since Feb. 27.
Henderson also hit in the cage again as part of his progression.
“Both have gone extremely well,” said manager Brandon Hyde.
Dean Kremer is making his fourth appearance and third start. He’s surrendered eight runs and 10 hits with four homers, five walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings.
“I think it’s been a little up and down, but I think that’s pretty common in spring training for a lot of guys,” Hyde said. “Commanding the baseball, been elevated a little bit. I think the split’s been really good. You saw that last year, he’s getting more and more confidence in it, and he’s even more now. I think he’s gonna finish the spring strong and be ready to go.”
Also pitching today are Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto and Corbin Martin. Among players here from minor league camp are infielders Anthony Servideo and TT Bowens.
Thaddeus Ward starts against the Pirates on Saturday afternoon in Bradenton.
The Braves are starting right-hander Ian Anderson, who’s allowed one run and two hits in eight innings but also walked nine batters.
For the Orioles
Cedric Mullins CF
Adley Rutschman DH
Ryan O’Hearn 1B
Tyler O’Neill RF
Colton Cowser LF
Jordan Westburg 2B
Gary Sánchez C
Ramón Urías 3B
Jackson Holliday SS
Dean Kremer RHP
For the Braves
Nick Allen SS
Michael Harris II CF
Bryan De La Cruz LF
Garrett Cooper 1B
Drake Baldwin C
Luke Williams 2B
Sandy León DH
Charles Leblanc 3B
Stephen Paolini RF
Ian Anderson RHP
The teams haven’t met this spring due to an earlier rainout.
Major League Baseball has set the trade deadline for 6 p.m. on July 31, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Set your alarms.
