BALTIMORE -- The Mountain is returning to the mound for game action.
Félix Bautista is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake on Sunday afternoon, he said prior to the Orioles' series opener vs. the Rays at Camden Yards on Friday. It’ll be the first time the 31-year-old right-hander has pitched in a game since he sustained a right shoulder injury on July 20, 2025.
Bautista underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum on Aug. 19, 2025. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
If everything goes well in Bautista's first outing, he said the plan will be for him to move to Triple-A Norfolk for more appearances next week.
"The body is feeling great," Bautista said via team interpreter Brandon Quinones. "There haven't been any setbacks or anything like that, so I'm feeling really good."
The injury was a tough blow for both Baltimore and Bautista, who previously missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2023. The ‘23 All-Star returned in ‘25 and recorded a 2.60 ERA with 19 saves in 34 2/3 innings over 35 appearances.
"It was another very difficult process, considering it was almost the same timeline as Tommy John, missing almost the same amount of time with those injuries," Bautista said. "But I tried to stay mentally strong and persevere and get through it as strong as I could."
When healthy, Bautista has been among the best closers in baseball. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native owns a career 2.01 ERA in 104 games over three seasons and has notched 67 saves, 33 of which came during his remarkable 2023 campaign.
Bautista had been rehabbing at the O’s Spring Training complex in Sarasota, Fla. He threw routine bullpen sessions throughout the summer before progressing to live batting practice on Aug. 4.
"I'm not really focused on the velocity right now," Bautista said. "My focus is on doing whatever I can to stay healthy, be healthy, so that when I return, I can stay healthy and be able to do what I can to contribute.”
Knowing Bautista would be sidelined for most (if not all) of the season, the Orioles signed right-hander Ryan Helsley to a two-year, $28 million contract this past offseason to serve as the club’s closer in the interim. However, Helsley has been on the injured list twice due to a pair of right elbow injuries.
Helsley, who is currently on the IL due to right elbow inflammation, has a 4.11 ERA and eight saves over 17 appearances this season. The 32-year-old has been throwing over the past couple weeks, but it isn’t yet clear when/if he’ll return to Baltimore’s bullpen.
It also isn’t known when Bautista could be back in the big leagues, as he’ll likely need quite a few rehab appearances to get reacclimated to a game setting. But it is encouraging that he’s already pitching in the Minors by this point, making a mid-September return quite realistic.
The O’s have been closing by committee in Helsley’s absence, with right-handers Andrew Kittredge and Yennier Cano among those who have gotten save opportunities. Bautista could take back over the closer’s role upon his return, though the team may want to be cautious with how much it uses the righty at first.