Orioles All-Star closer Félix Bautista, who has established himself as one of the best relievers in baseball since the beginning of last year, hit the 15-day injured list with what general manager Mike Elias called “some degree” of a UCL injury.
A tear of the elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament is not uncommon for pitchers and often leads to Tommy John surgery, with a lengthy recovery process along with it. However, Elias did not share with reporters what the future may hold for Bautista regarding a timetable for recovery.
Bautista left his Aug. 25 appearance against the Colorado Rockies following a 102 mph fastball with two outs in the ninth inning:
Bautista, 28, has saved 33 games for the Orioles this year, tied for second-most in the major leagues. The 6-foot-8, 285-pound right-hander has posted a 1.48 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 61 innings. His strikeout rate of 46.4 percent is the best among qualified relievers, and his 16.23 strikeouts per nine innings are second-best behind Aroldis Chapman.
The Orioles recalled top prospect DL Hall to replace Bautista on the roster. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound lefty has struck out 499 hitters in 353.1 minor league innings. He’ll head to the bullpen, giving manager Brandon Hyde another left-handed option late in games along with Danny Coulombe and Cionel Pérez.
Yennier Cano (four saves) has gotten the bulk of the save chances this year when Bautista has been unavailable to pitch.
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