The Baltimore Orioles just can't catch a break this season. The injury bug has taken a serious bite out of the team, and now it's claimed their star closer. Ryan Helsley has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday, making him the 12th Orioles player to land on the IL this year. Right-hander Albert Suárez has been called up from Triple-A Norfolk to take his spot on the roster.

Despite the mounting injuries, the Orioles are hanging tough in the AL East. Under new manager Craig Albernaz—who's even played through a broken jaw and facial fractures himself this season—Baltimore entered a four-game road series against the New York Yankees with a 15-16 record. That's good for third place in the division, just five games back of the first-place Yanks.

Helsley, 31, is in his first season with the Orioles after signing a two-year, $28 million contract this past offseason. He's had an up-and-down couple of years: a rough 2025 campaign split between the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, but before that, he was MLB's saves leader in 2024. A two-time All-Star with the Cardinals (2022 and 2024), Helsley came into Friday tied for fourth in the majors with seven saves—a perfect 7-for-7 in save opportunities—and a sharp 2.53 ERA over 10 2/3 innings.

This isn't the first time Helsley's been absent lately. Last week, he was on the bereavement/family medical emergency list, which opened the door for rookie right-hander Anthony Nunez to notch a save in an 8-6 win over the Kansas City Royals on April 22. Now, with Helsley sidelined again, the Orioles will lean on a deep bullpen to close out games, with Nunez among the arms expected to step up.

As for Suárez, he could get the start on Sunday against the Yankees. For a team already battling through so much adversity, every arm in the bullpen—and every piece of gear that helps them perform—matters more than ever.