Welp. Everything is terrible.
The nightmarish dystopia that is the 2025 Orioles season has gotten ever worse. Closer Félix Bautista, one of the few bright spots in this ugly season, has landed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort.
Until now, Bautista had been enjoying a successful comeback from August 2023 Tommy John surgery, returning to his ninth-inning role as a near-lockdown closer, if not quite as dominant as his 2023 All-Star season. In 35 games, Bautista is an outstanding 19-for-20 in save opportunities, and hadn’t blown one since mid-May. He’s posted a 2.60 ERA and 13.0 K/9, although his command has been slower to return, with 23 walks in 34.2 innings.
There have been recent signs, though, that something wasn’t right with Félix. He barely survived a save opportunity in Tampa on Sunday, his first appearance in 10 days, in which he threw 34 pitches and issued three walks before escaping. His velocity was noticeably down, nearly 3 mph. And last night, according to O’s interim manager Tony Mansolino, Bautista reported in the seventh inning that he would be unavailable. Now the diagnosis is in, and Bautista will miss at least the next two weeks, if not more.
If there’s a silver lining here, it’s that Bautista’s injury doesn’t involve his surgically repaired elbow, so this isn’t a “pitcher returns from Tommy John and immediately needs a second Tommy John” situation, at least not yet. But shoulder injuries are nothing to sneeze at, either, so there’s a good chance this IL stint could be an extended one.
An already struggling O’s bullpen is now in shambles without its only reliable reliever, not to mention that at least three other veterans — Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto, and Andrew Kittredge — are all on the trade block and could be leaving the Orioles within the next week. For now, in the rare event that the O’s need a closer, Yennier Cano seems the most likely replacement once the trade-deadline dust has settled. Don’t ask me who their other high-leverage relievers will be. It’s best not to think about it.
To take Bautista’s roster spot, the O’s recalled righty Kade Strowd from Triple-A Norfolk for the fourth time this year. Strowd has a 4.15 ERA in three major league games and an identical 4.15 mark in 29 games for the Tides.
Sigh. This sucks.