Felix Bautista to the Injured List: Orioles on Alert
The Baltimore Orioles closer, Felix Bautista, has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder discomfort. Bautista, who is among the American League leaders with 19 saves, experienced the discomfort while preparing to pitch in the bullpen during Wednesday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians. The interim manager, Tony Mansolino, expressed his concern about the situation, indicating that Bautista felt the discomfort during warm-up. The Dominican pitcher will undergo an MRI when the team returns home on Friday.Bautista did not participate in the first three games of the series in Cleveland, his last performance was on Sunday in Tampa Bay, where he achieved his 19th save in 20 opportunities. It should be remembered that he missed the entire 2024 season due to recovery from Tommy John surgery. The 30-year-old reliever holds a 1-1 record with a 2.60 ERA in 35 appearances, limiting opponents to a .134 batting average in 34 2/3 innings. He has struck out 50 batters and issued 23 walks.The dugout phone rang in the seventh inning last night and I thought, ‘That’s not good.’ Then I heard he got hit and I knew it wasn’t good.
Tony Mansolino
In the meantime, the Orioles will implement a “closer by committee” system in the short term, with relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Yennier Cano as the main options.We just have to hope it’s not too serious.
Tony Mansolino
Bautista will not be a free agent until 2028, but he is arbitration-eligible after this season. The 6’8″ and 285-pound pitcher is in the final year of a two-year, $2 million contract. With the Orioles out of the wild card race, they are expected to be active sellers before the July 31 trade deadline.We will have to increase their roles. We will solve it.
Tony Mansolino
