Felix Bautista Injury Update: When will Orioles elite closer return?

On Saturday, the Baltimore Orioles announced that Felix Bautista will undergo Tommy John surgery. The elite closer will miss the rest of this season and likely all of the 2024 season.

Bautista has not been on the mound since Aug. 25 because of a partially torn UCL. While many did not expect him to return this season, having Tommy John at this point is the worst-case scenario.

He was having an impressive year before going down with his injury. He pitched in 56 games, getting 33 saves on 61 innings pitched. He had also compiled a career-low 1.48 ERA.

Felix Bautista was a big reason for much of the Orioles' success this season. Now, they will have to go into the postseason without one of the best closers in the game. Will they have enough to make some noise?

Can the Orioles make it work without Felix Bautista?

Baltimore Orioles vs Seattle Mariners

There is no hiding how much losing Felix Bautista hurts the Baltimore Orioles. He has the seventh-most saves across the league despite missing a month of action.

In the postseason, pitching is magnified. One missed spot could be the difference between a team advancing or a team's season coming to an end. You cannot have too many quality arms in the playoffs.

Lately, the Orioles have been going with a closer by committee. Yennier Cano and Danny Coulombe have gotten chances and have done well. They also have Cionel Perez, Shintaro Fujinami, and Tyler Wells as high-leverage guys.

While none of these pitchers are Bautista, they can keep the Orioles in the game. They will play either the Tampa Bay Rays or Toronto Blue Jays in the postseason.

While Bautista's injury update puts a damper on things, this team still has the pieces to go on a run.