Felix Bautista Positioned On Injured Listing With “Some Diploma” Of UCL Damage

Orioles GM Mike Elias addressed reporters this afternoon concerning the standing of right-hander Felix Bautista, who exited yesterday’s recreation in opposition to the Rockies with what was termed on the time as “arm discomfort.” It now seems that discomfort was one thing way more extreme than initially indicated, as Elias advised reporters (together with MASN’s Roch Kubatko) that Bautista is coping with “some extent of damage” to his ulnal collateral ligament. Naturally, Bautista is headed to the injured listing, with Andy Kostka of of the Baltimore Banner reporting that left-hander DL Corridor will take Bautista’s place on the Orioles’ roster. Baltimore has since made that transfer official, putting Bautista on the 15-day IL with a “proper UCL damage” whereas recalling Corridor.

Whereas a prognosis isn’t but identified and no timetable concerning Bautista’s damage has been introduced, it appears no less than attainable that the information brings an finish to a season that has been nothing wanting sensational for the 28-year-old righty. Bautista made his debut within the main leagues for the Orioles final yr and produced a superb season, with a 2.19 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 15 saves and a 34.8% strikeout fee throughout 65 appearances. These numbers from his rookie season have been spectacular sufficient to persuade Elias and his entrance workplace to ship then-closer Jorge Lopez to Minnesota on the commerce deadline final yr, with Bautista seeking to be the membership’s nearer of the longer term.

The 2023 marketing campaign has seen Bautista not solely make good on that promise, however make a case for himself as the very best reliever in your entire sport this yr. In 61 innings of labor this yr, Bautista has racked up 33 saves (only one lower than league leaders Alexis Diaz and Emmanuel Clase) whereas posting an unbelievable 46.4% strikeout fee with ERA (1.48) and FIP (1.89) marks beneath 2.00. His 2.8 fWAR this season places him twentieth in baseball amongst all pitchers, a determine that places him in the identical dialog as front-end arms like Luis Castillo and Kodai Senga regardless of providing lower than half the amount of these starters.

Bautista’s heroics this season have catapulted Baltimore’s bullpen to or close to the highest of loads of leaderboards this season. They collectively sport the sixth-best ERA (3.55), the very best FIP (3.51) and fWAR complete (6.8), and the third-highest strikeout fee (26.5%) within the majors this yr, even despite middling performances from the likes of Shintaro Fujinami, Austin Voth, and Cionel Perez. The lack of Bautista naturally complicates the longer term for the membership’s reduction corps, although the addition of Corridor, a former first-round choose who has posted gaudy strikeout totals in each the majors and minors regardless of restricted massive league expertise, may present a lift down the stretch.

Fellow right-hander Yennier Cano, who was acquired as a part of the return within the aforementioned Lopez deal final yr, appears primed to step into the nearer’s position in Bautista’s stead. Cano is within the midst of what has been a superb season of his personal, with an outstanding 1.62 ERA and a pair of.68 FIP. He’s managed to put up these numbers despite a far much less spectacular strikeout fee of 24.2% because of a mix of a sensational groundball fee of 58.5% and a minuscule 4.2% stroll fee.

Nonetheless, even despite the potential upside of Corridor and the wonderful efficiency of Cano, the lack of Bautista is a doubtlessly catastrophic blow for the Orioles, who at present lead the AL East with an 80-48 document that trails solely the Braves in all of MLB. Baltimore opted in opposition to any impression additions to a comparatively weak beginning workers that ranks simply nineteenth within the majors by way of fWAR and fifteenth by measure of ERA, as an alternative solely including right-hander Jack Flaherty (91 ERA+ in 23 begins this season) to the combination. The membership’s dominant bullpen, led by Bautista, certainly performed a job within the membership’s choice to not extra aggressively pursue an impactful arm like Eduardo Rodriguez or Jordan Montgomery.

With Bautista’s season now seemingly in peril, the membership must lean extra closely on its rotation group going ahead. Flaherty has struggled in three begins with the Orioles thus far, with a 7.07 ERA in 14 innings of labor, however has a historical past as a superb mid-rotation arm within the not-to-distant previous. Kyle Bradish (3.03 ERA in 23 begins) has emerged as a transparent playoff-caliber rotation arm this season, whereas rookie Grayson Rodriguez has posted a 3.24 ERA in seven begins since rejoining the group final month. Veteran righty Kyle Gibson has managed to maintain the group in video games regardless of a middling 4.89 ERA thanks to 14 high quality begins, a determine that locations him within the prime 10 amongst all AL pitchers this season.