Félix Bautista (shoulder surgery) expected to be out next 12 months

BALTIMORE -- After missing all of the 2024 season following Tommy John surgery -- and a chunk of ‘25 due to a shoulder injury -- Orioles closer Félix Bautista will now miss a large percentage (if not all) of the ‘26 campaign.

On Tuesday, Bautista underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum in Los Angeles, where the procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The 30-year-old right-hander is expected to miss at least 12 months, meaning he may not return until late in the 2026 season -- or not until ‘27.

It’s a huge blow to Baltimore’s bullpen, which has frequently experienced what it’s like to not have one of baseball’s best closers at the back end since Bautista partially tore the UCL in his right elbow on Aug. 25, 2023.

In 2023, Bautista won the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award, following up on his breakout ‘22 rookie season with even better results. The 6-foot-8 righty known as “The Mountain” had a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves over 56 appearances -- numbers that likely would have been even better had he not missed the final month-plus of the year.

Bautista played an instrumental role in helping the Orioles go 101-61 in 2023, even if he was injured by the time they celebrated winning the AL East title in late September.

Baltimore struggled to replace Bautista in 2024, as it signed veteran Craig Kimbrel ahead of the season to serve as a one-year stopgap at closer. However, Kimbrel recorded a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves in 57 games before getting designated for assignment on Sept. 18.

This year, Bautista returned at the start of the season and immediately reclaimed his role, although his velocity rarely got back to the triple-digit heat he was showing consistently during the 2022 and ‘23 seasons. Bautista’s hardest pitch of ‘25 was 100 mph -- a number he hit only once (June 14 vs. the Angels).

Still, Bautista was largely effective. He had a 2.60 ERA and 19 saves over 35 games, as the sharpness of his splitter often helped to overcome the dip in velocity.

On July 23 in Cleveland, Bautista informed the O’s he was unavailable to pitch because something hadn’t felt right as he was warming up. Multiple MRIs later revealed inflammation in Bautista’s right shoulder, and by mid-August, it was clear the injury was too “significant” for him to return, interim manager Tony Mansolino shared.

Now, Bautista must again face a long road to recovery, leaving the Orioles -- 59-67 amid a disappointing season -- without a closer as they head into the upcoming offseason.

Baltimore will need to rebuild its bullpen this winter, considering it traded right-handers Seranthony Domínguez (Blue Jays), Andrew Kittredge (Cubs), Bryan Baker (Rays) and lefty Gregory Soto (Mets) ahead of the July 31 Trade Deadline. Now, Bautista will no longer be in the mix for the Opening Day relief corps.

In Bautista’s absence, the O’s have been closing by committee. Left-handers Keegan Akin and Dietrich Enns and righty Corbin Martin are among those who have earned saves.

But the Orioles have long preferred to have a set closer rather than playing matchups. So it would not be surprising to see general manager Mike Elias target one during the offseason as Baltimore aims to return to contention in 2026.