Orioles’ Bautista thinks he’ll be ready by Opening Day

SARASOTA–Since Félix Bautista had Tommy John surgery in October 2023, the Orioles have been targeting Opening Day 2025 for his return.

The Orioles’ closer will be built up slowly in spring training, executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias said on Thursday. Elias said he hoped Bautista would be ready for the March 27^th opener against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

Bautista is also optimistic.

“Marching on and everything is going to according to plan,” he said through a translator on Friday. “That remains a goal to be ready for Opening Day.”

Bautista injured his right elbow on August 25^th, 2023. At the time, he was the best closer in baseball with an 8-2 record and a 1.48 ERA with 33 saves and 110 strikeouts in 61 innings.

“I have 100 percent confidence,” Bautista said. “I just have to continue working and doing all the little things to make sure I get back to that point when I’m ready.”

For now, Bautista, who’s rehabbed at the Orioles’ complex in Sarasota, is satisfied with his conditioning.

“Not 100 percent, but I would say about 85 percent. I do think for Opening Day I would be 100 percent,” Bautista said.

Bautista has missed the bullpen camaraderie.

“I think it’s been very difficult. I think only someone who’s gone through this really understands how hard it is,” he said. “But I’ve been trying to do my best to recover and prepare myself to come back fully healthy and be prepared and ready to go.”

The isolation was difficult.

“I think that was one of the parts of it, just because I spent the majority of the year here, but I think it’s part of the process in terms of working my way back throughout the process to getting back to where I am now,” Bautista said.

Bautista did have company later in the 2024 season when Kyle Bradish, John Means and Tyler Wells had season-ending elbow surgeries.

“We spent a huge part of last year here,” Bautista said. “We were able to [exchange] some different thoughts and different ideas and talk through different things together. That was good to have.”

If Bautista returns to his 2023 dominance, and with the addition of Andrew Kittredge, and the returns of Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, Seranthony Domínguez, Cionel Pérez and Gregory Soto, the Orioles could have a powerful bullpen.

“Real good and excellent,” Bautista said. “I think we have a lot of exciting arms in this bullpen, a lot of experienced arms. I think overall we have a really good group back there in the bullpen this year.”

Hyde on Bradish, Wells

Bradish is in camp, and manager Brandon Hyde says he’s doing well.

“He’s right on track. Everything’s progressing extremely well,”  Hyde said. “Looks great, looking forward to seeing how he progresses throughout this summer and, hopefully, he’s with us some point in the second half.”

Hyde said he hasn’t decided whether Wells will start or pitch in relief when he returns.

“That’s a little early,” Hyde said. “Just like Kyle, progressing extremely well. They’ve both been here for a while. I live here, so I’ve been at the complex quite a bit since January, and seen a lot of them, both these guys, and they’ve both been doing really, really well.”

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com.