SEATTLE — Twenty-one appearances into his first season back from Tommy John surgery, Félix Bautista is still checking off boxes on his rehabilitation calendar.
The Orioles’ closer has taken the mound more frequently in recent weeks, pitching on back-to-back days three times and getting three days’ rest only once between appearances since May 20. He typically took three or four days over the first two months of the season.
“I would say my body is adapting,” Bautista said through Orioles team interpreter Brandon Quinones on Wednesday. “It had been a long time since I worked that much in such a short amount of time, but with the work I’m putting in and everything that’s going on, I think my body is adapting and feeling much better.”
Bautista, 29, has converted 11 of 12 save chances with a 3.48 ERA and 28.1% strikeout rate over 20 2/3 innings. The right-hander missed all of last season after tearing the ulnar collateral ligament of his pitching elbow during the final appearance of his American League Reliever of the Year Award-winning campaign in August 2023.
Despite the extended absence, the Orioles inserted Bautista right back into the closer role to begin the season. Managing his workload was easy considering their lack of save opportunities amid their slow start to the campaign. But as the club has started to stabilize with a 9-4 record over its past 13 games, interim manager Tony Mansolino hasn’t hesitated to lean on him.
“I think we will continue to push him a little bit,” Mansolino said. “You’ll probably see him be a tick more full throttle in terms of the usage in another month or so. So, I think obviously we’ve got to be smart about this, and we have pushed him a little bit. He’s responded really well and you start seeing the velo creeping up too and, to me, kind of goes hand in hand. You use him a little bit more, the arm strength builds up, starts to throw a little bit harder. More arm strength, more command, all the above. So, we feel good about the direction we are with him.”
Bautista shares a similar sentiment. He was routinely hitting triple digits with his sinker in 2023 but this season has maxed out at 99.3 mph while averaging 97.1. Though a look under the hood at the Statcast numbers still shows the makeup of an elite closer — namely, his 34.2% whiff rate and 91st percentile average exit velocity allowed — Bautista is still hoping to get back to his previous levels to fully return to form.
“I feel like the velocity is where I want it to be,” Bautista said. “I know that I can put some more into it and I think as we continue going forward and pitching in some more games, it’ll continue going up.”
The Orioles aren’t ready to use Bautista for multiple innings at a time or pitch him three days in a row just yet, which in the meantime has meant other bullpen arms getting a greater share of the high-leverage spots. Bryan Baker got a save opportunity Sunday because Bautista pitched the previous two days and he would likely get the ball again Thursday after Bautista closed out their wins over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“I think it’s an honor to take the ball in those types of situations, so I don’t take it lightly at all,” Baker said. “In those spots, the manager’s looking for outs, and I’m trying to provide those the best I can. I don’t think I read too much else into it except to make sure I’m ready when my name’s called, just kind of use my resources around me.”
Bautista’s velocity might not completely return until next year, when he’s had a full healthy offseason to build his arm back up. But the Orioles are hopeful that getting him into a regular rhythm will unlock whatever his full potential for 2025 can be.
“For me, and just any reliever really, it’s difficult when you pitch one game and then you don’t pitch for another five games or so,” Bautista said. “So, that’s why I mentioned the importance of gaining that rhythm. … I think it’s much better for any reliever to get that rhythm.”
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.