Felix Bautista

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Good to go for Opening Day

  Rotowire Mar 23, 2025

  Manager Brandon Hyde said Sunday that Bautista will be included on Baltimore's Opening Day roster, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports. There was some recent concern that Bautista wouldn't be ready to go for the start of the regular season, but the skipper put those thoughts to bed Sunday. The right-hander spent most of camp in ramp-up mode while working his way back from October 2023 Tommy John surgery, but he's been cleared after making five spring appearances. The 29-year-old recorded 33 saves with a 1.48 ERA during the 2023 regular season and should begin the campaign as the Orioles' closer.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Might not be ready for Opening Day

  Rotowire Mar 20, 2025

  Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said Thursday that Bautista (elbow) is not a guarantee to be on the Opening Day roster, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. Bautista is considered healthy as he comes back from October 2023 Tommy John surgery, but he's still in ramp-up mode and the Orioles could decide he's not ready yet. The righty has made four Grapefruit League appearances, allowing three runs with a 7:1 K:BB. Bautista is throwing on the back fields Thursday and it's not clear when he might make another game appearance. If Bautista isn't included on the Opening Day roster, Seranthony Dominguez and/or Gregory Soto could fill in at closer.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Cleared for spring debut Monday

  Rotowire Mar 3, 2025

  Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said that Bautista (elbow) -- who will make his Grapefruit League debut Monday versus the Red Sox -- won't pitch back-to-back days or cover more than one inning early on in the season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Bautista projects to open the season as the Orioles' closer, barring any setbacks during his appearances in the spring as he makes his return from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in October 2023. However, for occasions in which Bautista is unavailable, Hyde said he would "mix and match" at closer those days, with the manager naming Andrew Kittredge (knee), Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez as options to fill in. Hyde noted that he'll apply the cautious usage of Bautista "especially in the first half." The Orioles don't seem to have a hard deadline for when the restrictions on Bautista will be lifted, as it likely just depends on how the pitcher looks and is bouncing back from outings.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Shines in latest bullpen session

  Rotowire Feb 27, 2025

  Bautista (elbow) threw approximately 25 pitches Thursday in his second live batting practice session of the spring, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. The hard-throwing right-hander faced Heston Kjerstad four times and Gary Sanchez three times during the session, recording three strikeouts among the seven plate appearances. Bautista is expected to throw live BP sessions on one or two more occasions before making his Grapefruit League debut in the first or second week of March. Manager Brandon Hyde has set seven spring appearances -- either in Grapefruit League games or on the back fields at camp -- as the benchmark Bautista needs to hit to make himself an option for the Opening Day bullpen.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Should be full go by Opening Day

  Rotowire Feb 14, 2025

  Bautista (elbow) said Friday that he's throwing at about 85 percent and is confident he will be 100 percent by Opening Day, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Bautista is 16 months removed from Tommy John surgery and is being eased into things this spring. He has been throwing off a mound since August but is not expected to pitch in Grapefruit League games until late in spring training. While Bautista is expected to be ready to serve as the Orioles' closer on Opening Day, the club doesn't figure to commit to him in the role until they see how he looks and feels this spring.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Expected back for Opening Day

  Rotowire Feb 13, 2025

  General manager Mike Elias said Thursday that Bautista (elbow) has a "very good chance" of being part of the Orioles' Opening Day roster, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. While Elias acknowledged that Bautista likely won't be cleared to pitch in Grapefruit League games until late in spring training, the right-hander has been throwing bullpen sessions and has seemingly avoided any setbacks in his recovery from October 2023 Tommy John surgery. The Orioles are still planning to ease Bautista along during camp, but if he shows that he can recapture his pre-surgery velocity and command all of his pitches in spring workouts and appearances, he'll likely head into Opening Day as the team's closer. Bautista had been one of baseball's top-end gamers during the 2023 season, notching saves in 33 of his 39 opportunities while compiling a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 110 strikeouts over 61 innings.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Expected to be full go in spring

  Rotowire Oct 3, 2024

  Orioles general manager Mike Elias said Thursday that he expects Bautista (elbow) to more or less be without restrictions at the start of spring training, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Bautista started throwing off the mound in August and will be 16 months removed from Tommy John surgery by February. As long as he looks good during Grapefruit League play, he should regain the closer role for Baltimore heading into 2025. Bautista posted a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 110:26 K:BB over 61 innings while notching 33 saves in 2023.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: First post-surgery bullpen session

  Rotowire Aug 14, 2024

  Bautista (elbow) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. Bautista threw off the mound for the first time since he had Tommy John surgery last October. He has already been ruled out for a return in 2024, but Bautista should be in store for a relatively normal offseason and enter spring training with little-to-no restrictions.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Shifts to 60-day IL

  Rotowire Feb 14, 2024

  The Orioles placed Bautista (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Wednesday. Bautista will miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October followed by a right elbow debridement and an ulnar nerve transposition procedure last week. Baltimore brought in veteran right-hander Craig Kimbrel on a one-year, $13 million contract in December and will install him as the closer this season while Bautista completes his rehab.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Will throw again Tuesday

  Rotowire Sep 26, 2023

  Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told Dani Wexelman of MLB Network Radio that Bautista (elbow) will throw again Tuesday. "He's feeling good," Hyde said. "He's going to throw today, we're just monitoring it right now. I'm know we're running out of time a little bit. That's the only update I can give. We'll see how he is tomorrow, if he throws well today we'll continue to progress it. But he hasn't thrown enough, he's had about a month off. We only have six games left...depending on how he feels, there is an injury in there, we wanna be smart." Hyde doesn't appear to be terribly optimistic that Bautista could return before the end of the regular season, although the reliever has seemingly already progressed more quickly than expected from his UCL tear so nothing can be ruled out. Ultimately, the Orioles' main goal figures to be getting Bautista back for the postseason, but there remains work to be done.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Advances to mound work

  Rotowire Sep 17, 2023

  Bautista (elbow) threw a bullpen session Sunday in Baltimore, Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun reports. It was his first mound workout since he was diagnosed three weeks ago with a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow. Bautista appeared to be using his entire arsenal, per Ruiz, which is another encouraging development as the 28-year-old aims to return to the Orioles' active roster prior to the end of the regular season. Yennier Cano has been filling in as the O's primary closer.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Advances to long-toss

  Rotowire Sep 15, 2023

  Bautista (elbow) threw long-toss Friday in Baltimore, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Bautista has been sidelined since late August due to a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow, but he's been making steady progress and is aiming to return at some point before the end of the regular season. He'll probably have to advance to mound work within the next week to achieve that goal. Yennier Cano is currently positioned as the Orioles' primary closer.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Chance to pitch again in '23

  Rotowire Sep 11, 2023

  General manager Mike Elias confirmed Monday that Bautista (elbow) is dealing with a partial tear of his UCL, but the Orioles maintain hope that the right-hander will be able to pitch again in 2023, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports. Though the Orioles plan to take a conservative approach with Bautista's recovery from the acute ligament injury, he's already resumed playing catch and hasn't required any platelet-rich plasma injections for his right elbow, per Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Sun. Elias suggested that the Orioles will continue to see how Bautista's elbow responds as the All-Star closer gradually ramps up the intensity of his throwing, but the 28-year-old is without a clear target date to return from the 15-day injured list. Additionally, Elias noted that surgery isn't necessarily off the table for Bautista, but the Orioles are likely to wait until the offseason before exploring any potential procedure.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Gets MRI, could need more tests

  Rotowire Sep 3, 2023

  Manager Brandon Hyde said Sunday that Bautista has received an MRI on his injured right elbow, but the Orioles will wait for the inflammation in the pitcher's arm to subside before a decision is made on his next steps, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports. The standout closer was placed on the 15-day IL on Aug. 26 with what the Orioles described as a UCL injury, but the severity of the issue still hasn't been disclosed. Once some of the elbow inflammation clears up, Bautista could get more tests that may shed more light on the extent of his injury. Regardless, Bautista appears safe to rule out for returning from the IL when first eligible next weekend, and even if he's able to steer clear of elbow surgery, he won't necessarily be a lock to pitch again in 2023.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Undergoing tests on sore arm

  Rotowire Aug 25, 2023

  Bautista is undergoing tests after exiting Friday's appearance against the Rockies due to right arm discomfort, Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun reports. Bautista was just one strike away from a save when he was lifted from the outing after delivering a 102.3 mph fastball. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde declined to go into more specifics when asked about the exact nature of the righty's injury, adding only that "when the best closer in the game leaves the game, it's never a good feeling." Yennier Cano would be the obvious choice to step in as Baltimore's closer should Bautista need to miss time. Danny Coulombe got a one-out save in relief of Bautista on Friday and could also be in the mix.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Collects eighth win

  Rotowire Aug 20, 2023

  Bautista (8-2) struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the extra-inning win over the Athletics on Saturday. Bautista needed just nine pitches to set the Athletics down in order in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Orioles' offense exploded for five runs in the top of the 10th. Aside from his five runs allowed against Houston over two appearances earlier this month, Bautista has been virtually untouchable for much of the last two months. He's 32-for-38 in save chances with a 1.54 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 109:26 K:BB through 58.1 innings overall. Given that this was his first outing since Monday, Bautista should be available if another save chance arises Sunday.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Picks up extra-inning win

  Rotowire Aug 13, 2023

  Bautista (7-2) allowed a hit and struck out four over two scoreless innings to earn the extra-inning win Saturday over the Mariners. Offense was at a premium Saturday, but Bautista made sure the Mariners saw none of it. He kept the game scoreless in the ninth inning and then protected a 1-0 lead in the 10th to pick up the win. Bautista allowed five runs over 1.2 innings across his previous two appearances, both against Houston, but prior to that shaky stretch, he'd posted a 17-inning scoreless streak. Even with the recent struggles, he has a 1.60 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 108:24 K:BB and 31 saves in 37 chances through 56.1 innings this season as one of the best relievers in baseball.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Struggles in 31st save

  Rotowire Aug 11, 2023

  Bautista picked up the save in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Astros, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over one inning. Bautista entered the game with a two-run lead in the ninth inning and got Jake Meyers to fly out before things got dicey. The right-handed reliever surrendered a double to Jose Altuve and then proceeded to walk two of the next three batters, setting up an RBI single for Yainer Diaz. Bautista was still able to escape with his 31st save of the season, though he's now allowed runs in back-to-back appearances after previously not allowing a run since June 24.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Rare misstep versus Houston

  Rotowire Aug 9, 2023

  Bautista dropped to 6-2 after allowing four runs on three hits and a walk while striking out two over two-thirds of an inning in a blown save in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Astros. Bautista had converted 10 straight save chances and had a 17-inning scoreless streak dating back to June. He needed 30 pitches to get his two outs, but he gave up a grand slam to Kyle Tucker to blow the save while allowing multiple runs for the first time since April 1. Bautista still has a 1.52 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 104:22 K:BB with 30 saves in 36 chances through 53.1 innings this year. He's earned the benefit of the doubt that this is one bad outing and not the beginning of a late-season collapse.

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• Orioles' Felix Bautista: Secures five-out save

  Rotowire Jul 31, 2023

  Bautista walked two batters over 1.2 scoreless innings Monday, striking out three and earning a save over the Blue Jays. Bautista tossed a season-high 35 pitches while picking up his 29th save. He was unbelievable in July, firing 14 shutout frames with a 25:4 K:BB while allowing just three hits. His season ERA is down to 0.87 with a 101:21 K:BB across 51.2 innings. Bautista hasn't given up an earned run since his last blown save June 24.

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