Félix Bautista injury: Orioles closer expected to miss 12 months after surgery on throwing shoulder

Baltimore Orioles closer Félix Bautista has undergone successful surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum in his throwing shoulder, the club announced on Wednesday. Bautista is expected to miss the next 12 months while he recovers. He was already expected to miss the remainder of the current season, but now Bautista will also be sidelined for the majority of the 2026 season. 

This is, of course, a serious blow to the Orioles and to the 30-year-old Bautista, who this season had come back from Tommy John surgery performed in October of 2023. Bautista had been sidelined since July 20, when he uncharacteristically walked three batters in a single inning and suffered from diminished velocity. His 2025 season ends with a 2.60 ERA and 19 saves in 35 appearances for Baltimore. Across 34 ⅔ innings, Bautista struck out 50 and walked 23 unintentionally. 

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Mike Axisa

For his career, he's put up a sparkling ERA+ of 199 and an FIP of 2.62 across parts of three major-league seasons. In 2023, Bautista had an ERA of 1.48 in 56 games and earned his first All-Star selection along with an 11th-place finish in the American League Cy Young vote. 

In Bautista's absence, the Orioles have gone with a committee approach for save opportunities by using Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, and Deitrich Enns to play match-ups in the late innings. 

While the loss of Bautista won't measurably affect the Orioles' fate in 2025 -- they're in last place in the AL East and 8 ½ games out of the third and final wild card spot -- but if they aim to return to contention in 2026, then outside help may be needed.