Felix Bautista is looking to make his return to the Baltimore Orioles this year.
The Baltimore Orioles bullpen has been without right-hander Felix Bautista for over a year. The 31-year-old veteran last pitched in MLB back in July of 2025.
Shortly after that appearance he felt right shoulder discomfort, and further testing revealed a significant issue in the form of a torn rotator cuff and labrum. He underwent surgery and has been recovering ever since.
On Sunday, after months of rehab, Bautista pitched in game action for the first time, taking the mound for Double-A Chesapeake. The results were not great. Bautista threw 22 pitches but struggled to find the strike zone, retiring just one of the five hitters he faced while allowing three walks and a hit. He threw just 10 strikes.
Michael Howes of The Baltimore Sun was in attendance and reported that Bautista's fastball averaged 95.1 miles per hour and topped out at 97 miles per hour.
Given that velocity is the biggest concern for pitchers returning from major shoulder surgery, that was at least an encouraging sign. According to Statcast's Baseball Savant, Bautista's fastball averaged 97.2 miles per hour in 2025, so sitting close to that figure in his first outing back is a positive development.
As he builds up and shakes off the rust, the expectation is that number will continue to climb back toward his previous levels.
There is not much time for Bautista to shake off the rust and rejoin the Orioles this year, but it is definitely a possibility. He may need a few more outings before he is ready, but a return before the season ends is within reach.
If he does return and gets back to form, he could be a huge boost for Baltimore, which is still fighting for a playoff spot.
In 2025 he posted a 2.60 ERA with 50 strikeouts across just 34 2/3 innings while collecting 19 saves. Command has always been a challenge for him, as evidenced by his 23 walks that year, but he has typically been effective despite it.
His best season came in 2023 when he earned an All-Star selection and posted a minuscule 1.48 ERA, helping Baltimore win the division title.
He missed all of 2024 with Tommy John surgery, making this recent shoulder procedure his second major setback in as many years. It has been a genuinely frustrating stretch for a pitcher who has never struggled with effectiveness, only with staying healthy. The next steps remain unclear, but Sunday was at least a start.
