Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Félix Bautista will have Tommy John surgery and miss the postseason, the team announced Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Orioles general manager Mike Elias said on Sept. 11 Bautista has a partial UCL tear and didn’t rule him out for the postseason at that time.
- Bautista hasn’t pitched since Aug. 25 when he exited Baltimore’s 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies due to right elbow discomfort. He was placed on the 15-day IL a day later.
- The Orioles have already clinched the American League East and a postseason berth, their first since 2016.
Backstory
Bautista, 28, is playing his second full season with the Orioles. Through 56 games this season, he posted a 1.48 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. On his career, he has a 1.85 ERA and a .924 WHIP through 126 2/3 innings pitched.
Bautista earned his first All-Star selection this season, joining teammates Yennier Cano (right-handed pitcher), Austin Hays (outfielder) and Adley Rutschman (catcher).
The Orioles clinched the AL East with a 2-0 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday. Baltimore’s first division title since 2014 is the 10th in club history and completes a turnaround for a team that had multiple 100-loss seasons and is operating with one of the lowest payrolls in baseball.
Required reading
(Photo: Reggie Hildred / USA Today Sports)
