Felix Bautista injury update: Orioles closer headed to 15-day IL with UCL injury 

On Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles dropped the news that closer Felix Bautista would be headed to the 15-day IL. Bautista is dealing with "some degree of injury" to his UCL, said general manager Mike Elias.

Bautista had to exit Friday's game early after recording two outs against the Colorado Rockies. Despite him leaving early, the Orioles still got the job done, winning the game 5-4.

The severity of the injury is not known. Typically, when pitchers are dealing with UCL discomfort, Tommy John surgery is the first thing that comes to mind. Baltimore hopes it does not come down to that.

Being so late in the season, Tommy John surgery would likely mean that Bautista would miss the 2024 season. Either way, losing a player of his caliber is tough, especially with the postseason right around the corner.

The injury to Felix Bautista makes way for an exciting prospect

Baltimore Orioles Photo Day

With Felix Bautista on the IL, the Baltimore Orioles called up DL Hall from Triple-A. Hall appeared earlier in the season, striking out seven of the 15 batters he faced, but he did give up two runs.

Hall is the team's top pitching prospect. He was drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft straight out of high school.

Hall was regarded as one of the best lefties in the 2017 class, right behind MacKenzie Gore. He has worked on his game in the minors and has become dominant at the minor-league level.

Hall has a four-pitch mix. He throws a fastball that touches triple digits, a changeup, a curveball, and a slider. He likes to throw his curveball to righties and his slider to left-handed batters.

While the injury to Baustista is a letdown, fans can look forward to seeing their top pitching prospect on the field.