The Orioles announced that lefty Keegan Akin Tommy John surgery. He will miss the rest of this year and possibly all of 2027. He is already on the 60-day disabled list and will remain there for the rest of the season. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report the news.
Not surprising-but-brutal news for the lefty. He hit the 15-day IL at the end of June due to elbow discomfort. About a week ago, it was revealed that Akin was going to visit surgeon Dr. Keith Meister to see each other. A few days later, it was discovered that Akin’s ulnar collateral ligament was injured and he was placed on the 60-day IL.
Now the worst has happened. Given that Tommy John surgery usually requires 14 months of rehab or more, he will be out until late 2027 and could miss the entire campaign.
Akin had a solid run for the O’s before this season. From 2022 to 2025, he logged 247 1/3 innings out of the Baltimore bullpen, allowing a 3.64 earned run average. He struck out 25.4% of the batters he faced and issued walks at a 7.7% clip. He tallied 11 saves and 28 catches in that span.
The results weren’t as strong this season, as he posted a 5.68 ERA before going on the injured list. A 59.2% strikeout rate made the ERA look worse than it deserved for Akin but this year’s strikeout rate of 14.9% is down significantly from his previous career.
For the Orioles, they expected Akin to be their primary lefty but instead he gave them poor results in the first half and now they will miss the second half. Grant Wolfram he’s the only southpaw in the big league bullpen right now. If the O’s decide to shop at the deadline, left tackle would be a natural target for them. Their 46-51 record isn’t great but they’re just two games out of a playoff spot in this year’s American League’s weakest field.
If they had decided to trade, Akin would have been a trade candidate as he is an upcoming free agent. His first season performance has cleared many of his complaints. Whatever chance there was for him to save some money is now completely gone.
He will enter the free agency while rehabbing and has a long road ahead. Sometimes pitchers in that situation sign two-year deals. That allows them to collect a check while they are injured, while allowing them to use the team’s resources. For the team that signs, they get little return on investment in the first year but hope that the bet pays off when the player gets healthy in the second year.
Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images
