Félix Bautista gives up homer while pitching ninth

Garcia got the call to protect a one-run lead in the final frame after Pete Alonso’s go-ahead homer and needed just 17 pitches to slam the door. He’ll continue splitting the closing duties with Andrew Kittredge, and possibly Félix Bautista now that he’s back in the mix, over the final week of the season.

Bautista averaged 96.2 mph with his sinker. That’s down one mph from where he was last year before shoulder surgery and down three mph from 2023, but it is one mph better than he’d averaged in eight Triple-A appearances on his rehab assignment. Bautista will probably pitch twice more this week as he tries to give himself something to build on entering 2027.

Bautista will be making his first appearance in the majors since July 20, 2025. The hard-throwing 31-year-old former closer has missed most of the last three seasons due to labrum and rotator cuff surgeries following a Tommy John procedure following the 2023 campaign. There’s a chance that Bautista factors into Baltimore’s closing mix during the final week of the regular season, which gives him some fantasy appeal in deeper mixed leagues.

Helsley’s impending return would provide a massive lift for the Orioles during the final two weeks as they sit just three games out of the final playoff spot in the American League. Craig Albernaz has been rolling with a multi-pronged closer-by-committee approach that includes Rico Garcia, Andrew Kittredge, Yennier Cano and Josh Walker for the past couple weeks. They also have former stopper Félix Bautista on the verge of returning from the injured list. Helsley, who has been out with elbow discomfort since early July, figures to step into the closer role once he’s activated.

Bautista needed just eight pitches, six of them strikes, to collect three outs. He had just one whiff and sat 94.8 mph on his sinker, but he had much better command of his arsenal in this one. He likely needs a few more appearances, but there is a chance that he could rejoin the Orioles as soon as next week if he continues to pitch well.

The 31-year-old hurler faced five batters in the ballgame — allowing a hit and three walks in the process. He threw just 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes while maxing out at 97-mph on the radar gun. It’s going to take some time to shake off the rust following Tommy John surgery, so expect inconsistency upon his return.

Bautista will make his first appearance in a game setting since undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his shoulder last August. He missed the entire 2024 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery after recording a career-high 33 saves the previous season. The hard-throwing 31-year-old former elite closer will require at least one or two weeks of rehab outings in the upper minors before he’s ready to rejoin Baltimore’s high-leverage mix. The Orioles have deployed a closer-by-committee approach with Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano doing most of the heavy lifting while Ryan Helsley (elbow) on the injured list. Bautista has a relatively unobstructed path to save chances in the final month of the season once he makes it back to Camden Yards. He should be stashed in all fantasy formats.

It’s been a long road back for Bautista since undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff last year. There have been reports of him throwing going all the way back to March, but he’s ramped up his progression with consistent bullpen sessions since June and has been facing live hitters for the last two weeks. The quality of his stuff and velocity during this rehab assignment will tell us a lot about the role we can expect him to fill for the Orioles when he eventually returns.

It was Bautista’s first time facing hitters since last year’s surgery to repair a labrum tear in his shoulder. The hard-throwing 31-year-old stopper has a chance to make it back to Baltimore before the regular season concludes, but he’s going to need a couple weeks or minor league rehab outings before that happens.

Bautista had surgery to repair a torn labrum last summer and began his throwing program at the beginning of June. He has now thrown a full bullpens for the Orioles and could be set to face live hitters in the coming weeks. That would likely set him up for a rehab assignment shortly after the All-Star break and a potential return for the Orioles in the second half of August. If Ryan Helsley (elbow) remains sidelined by then, it could give Bautista a chance to earn some save opportunities to finish the season.