If only for one night, Baltimore Orioles fans were able to close their eyes and imagine what the 2026 season could look like.

Kyle Bradish made his return on Tuesday night after his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and looked every bit of the top-of-the-rotation that the Orioles have been missing since Corbin Burnes signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason.

Bradish struck 10 Boston Red Sox hitters in six innings of work while only giving up two runs. In 2023, and eight starts in 2024 before the surgery, Bradish was on the ascent toward being one of the best starting pitchers in the American League.

There’s never a guarantee that a pitcher will return as the same version of the pitcher they were before Tommy John, but Tuesday was an important first step for the Orioles when it comes to their 2026 roster construction.

Now, to be clear, the Orioles lost Tuesday’s game 5-0, so Bradish’s return doesn’t mean all is well for Baltimore.

This is a team that will be without Felix Bautista for most of next season, and counting on Grayson Rodriguez feels like a useless exercise. There is work to be done, but Bradish’s return does give the Orioles an encouraging start to their offseason plans.

Orioles’ Kyle Bradish return isn’t just big now—it’s huge for what’s next

First and foremost, Bradish’s return doesn’t mean the Orioles won’t be in the market for a starting pitcher this offseason. They very much still will need another top-of-the-rotation arm, but Bradish being healthy does lessen the urgency.

Perhaps, instead of shelling out money for Framber Valdez, the Orioles wait out the Miami Marlins or Minnesota Twins for potential trades involving Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, or Joe Ryan.

Then, the money not spent on a top-tier free agent starting pitcher could potentially be used on a free-agent closer to take Bautista’s place in the Orioles’ bullpen.

A healthy and effective Bradish allows the Orioles to get more creative in accomplishing their goal of contending in 2026.

More steps are needed, but a clean bill of health for one of their ascending starting pitchers at the end of this season was an important box to check.