Baltimore Orioles Closer Félix Bautista Undergoes Successful Tommy John Surgery

Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista had successful Tommy John surgery to reconstruct the UCL in his right elbow, the team announced Monday afternoon.

The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at Trinity Park Surgery Center in Arlington, Texas.

The Orioles are currently down 2-0 to the Texas Rangers in the ALDS, which Bautista has had to watch from the dugout. While Bautista has not pitched since Aug. 25, general manager Mike Elias gave fans hope in mid-September when he told reporters the reliever was throwing and might return in time for the postseason.

Instead, Baltimore hasn't had Bautista available against Texas, and the club is now on the verge of getting swept to close out a 101-win season.

Félix Bautista had successful right elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (Tommy John) today at Trinity Park Surgery Center in Arlington, Texas. The surgery was performed by Dr. Keith Meister.
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) October 9, 2023

Bautista was enjoying a breakout campaign before he went down, going 8-2 with a 1.48 ERA, 0.918 WHIP and 33 saves in 56 appearances. The 6-foot-8, 285-pound right-hander from the Dominican Republic made his first All-Star Game in July, and his career WAR has already reached 5.7 despite less than two seasons as a reliever in the big leagues.

That high-level production earned Bautista a multi-year extension, despite the fact that he is expected to miss the entire 2024 regular season.

Bautista was going to be in his first year of arbitration eligibility heading into 2025, but his new deal will cover both 2024 and 2025. Bautista has now pushed arbitration off until the 2026 offseason, and he will not hit free agency until 2028, when he will be 32 years old.

In the meantime, the Orioles will try to stay alive in the postseason without Bautista. Game 3 is scheduled to begin at 8:03 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

You can also subscribe to "The Payoff Pitch" podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.