Christmas came early for fans in Aberdeen, who watched Kyle Bradish return to the mound for the first time since 2024.

Bradish threw 37 pitches in a festive “Christmas in July” game against the Winston-Salem Dash. Across two innings, he recorded four strikeouts and one walk while allowing two hits and one earned run.

“It was awesome to see him back out there on the mound,” IronBirds manager Ryan Goll said. “Haven’t watched him throw live for a while, so it’s kind of fun to see him back out there with some of his quality stuff that he’s always had.”

Bradish allowed the run in the second inning after a ball rocketed past Aberdeen’s diving second baseman. Though Bradish had allowed the runner on base with a walk, it’s hard to say if an Orioles fielder would’ve made the play to keep him from advancing.

At times, his pitches seemed elevated. After one high pitch, Bradish jumped off the mound and clenched his jaw in frustration as the umpire called it a ball.

Walking off the mound for the final time, he bit his jersey before exchanging a word or two with catcher Chadwick Tromp, another Oriole recovering from his own (back) injury.

“It’s going to be again comfort with [his pitches], but ultimately what he showed, it’s kind of more back to his normal stuff of what he had previously,” Goll said. “So it’s pretty cool to see what he did and, yeah, definitely had the swing-and-miss profile, and that’s been his key thing.”

Bradish’s start marked a strong step forward since the trouble began. In February 2024, Bradish was diagnosed with a right elbow sprain.

After he was activated in May 2024, it seemed as though the worst was in the past. Bradish’s ERA was 2.75, and he allowed only two homers in 39 1/3 innings.

However, about a month later, the Orioles announced he had undergone Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his UCL.

He’s been working his way back ever since: his first bullpen session in April, facing live hitters at the end of June and now finding his way through the minor leagues.

The step-by-step process to work back to Major League Baseball is an arduous one as Bradish brushes off the rust with each appearance.

“I went back and looked at it, and I was like, that’s tough to watch, but second day was a lot better,” he told the Baltimore Banner in early June.

Bradish’s injury is one of many the Orioles have dealt with this season. The bruised and battered team has six pitchers on the 60-day injured list, and 26 players have been on the IL. To make matters worse, closer Félix Bautista, who missed last season due to Tommy John, was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday with right shoulder discomfort.