BALTIMORE—On the day that catcher Adley Rutschman and relief pitcher Keegan Akin returned from the injury list, the news wasn’t encouraging about closer Félix Bautista. Five days after Bautista was unable to enter the Orioles-Guardians game on Wednesday night, the team still doesn’t have an accurate reading on his right shoulder injury.
Bautista was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder discomfort before last Thursday’s game.
“Got an MRI. There’s a lot of swelling in the shoulder,” interim manager Tony Mansolino said. “Can’t quite make a determination quite yet or diagnose it. Once the swelling goes down enough to scan it again, then we’ll have more information. That’s going to be probably more weeks than days.”
Bautista had Tommy John surgery in October 2023 and missed the 2024 season. He was 1-1 with a 2.60 ERA and 19 saves in 20 opportunities this season, striking out 50 and walking 23 in 34 2/3 innings.
“It’s incredibly disappointing. He’s going to be out for a while,” Mansolino said. “It’s a really important part of the Baltimore Orioles. Very unfortunate set of circumstances.”
Mansolino wouldn’t offer a guess on whether Bautista will pitch again this season.
“I can’t speculate on it. I just know in a couple of weeks he’ll get another MRI and we’ll go from there.”
Mansolino said there’s no news on starter Grayson Rodriguez, who hasn’t pitched this season and now has elbow soreness. He thinks there could be an update in the next week or so.
Rutschman, Akin return: Rutschman, who’d been on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique, and Akin, who was on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation, have both been activated for Monday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rutschman is catching and batting fourth.
“That’s a big piece. He walked in and brought a lot of energy into the room,” Mansolino said. “A lot of smiles, a lot of hugs. I’m fascinated by sticking him in that four-hole, a switch-hitter sitting right there.”
Rutschman had been on the IL since June 20th, and he caught consecutive games this weekend at Triple-A Norfolk. Mansolino thinks Rutschman can catch three days in a row and work his way up to four.
“I think he’s close, and ideally it’s as much as Adley can handle,” Mansolino said. “These last two months having as much time as he’s had off for injury, I don’t think we’re super concerned about workload …”
The Orioles designated catcher Jacob Stallings for assignment and retained Alex Jackson as Rutschman’s backup—at least for now. To make room for Akin, right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo was optioned to Norfolk. He’s allowed one hit in 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Stallings hit .114 (4-for-35) with three RBIs in 14 games while Jackson is hitting .269 with three home runs and four RBIs in 13 games.
It wasn’t an easy decision, Mansolino said.
“It was pretty split. There was a group that really liked Stallings and how he called the game, how he handled the pitchers,” Mansolino said. “Our pitching group is very fond of that and was very appreciative of that. With Alex Jackson, I think that part of his game is going to catch up as he gets to know our pitchers.
“The receiving ability is elite. He can throw. He swung the bat pretty good. It’s a younger, more athletic body in some ways. I think as you try to start thinking about this year and next, it clarifies the decision in some ways, but Jacob Stallings was absolutely incredible here. For a guy to walk in … and learn that much respect in the clubhouse says a lot about the guy.”
Maverick Handley, who was on the 7-day concussion list and is currently on the 10-day injured list with a right wrist injury, is swinging and making some progress, Mansolino said.
“Not quite there yet,” he said. “I know he’s got a bat in his hand and it’s a day-to-day thing at this point.”
Notes: Albert Suárez will throw to hitters sometime this week, Mansolino said. He’s on the 60-day injured list with a rotator cuff injury. … Double-A Chesapeake right-hander Trey Gibson was named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. …The Orioles signed 21 of their 24 draft picks. The final ones to sign were right-handed pitchers Brayan Orrantia (14th round), Denton Biller (16th round) and Connor Gehr (20th round). They signed four undrafted free agents: Joephillip Guzman, a Killeen, Texas high school shortstop, right-handed pitcher J.D. Hennen (Augustana University, South Dakota), Todd Kniebber (Florida Atlantic University) and Isaac Silva (Murray State University. They didn’t sign right-handed pitcher Daniel Lopez (12th round), Georgia high school outfielder Cole Johnson (18th round) and shortstop Jimmy Anderson (19th round).
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