Orioles injury update: Felix Bautista has his first spring appearance on the schedule

Orioles fans got good news on Sunday afternoon as manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that the Mountain himself, Felix Bautista, is scheduled to appear in Monday afternoon's matchup against the Red Sox. It'll be the first live game appearance for Bautista since August of 2023, shortly before he underwent Tommy John surgery.

Reports about Bautista have been mostly positive, and he has yet to have any significant setbacks in his rehab and recovery. The fastball velocity doesn't seem like it's quite back to normal, as he's reportedly been sitting in the mid-90's during his throwing sessions, but that should come back as we get closer to Opening Day. Other than that, all signs are pointing in the right direction.

Prior to the surgery, Bautista had averaged 100 mph on his fastball and had one of the highest strikeout rates in the majors. His 46.4% k-rate in 2023 was tops among everyone with at least 50 innings pitched and he was about as dominant as it gets in today's day and age. That includes an outrageous 1.48 ERA with a pristine 1.88 FIP in 61 innings.

Orioles star closer Felix Bautista scheduled to pitch Monday against the Red Sox

While Bautista might not return to that form right off the bat, it's an important step for the Orioles to get him back in any capacity. The O's will surely take it slow in the early going but if all goes well and Bautista doesn't have any setbacks this spring, the plan is for him to be available on Opening Day.

When Bautista does return to full health, he's sure to take over the closer's role once again. That spot was filled by Craig Kimbrel in the first half of 2024, and trade deadline addition Seranthony Dominguez chipped in with 10 saves in the second half. Despite notching those saves, Dominguez posted a 5.33 FIP during his time in Baltimore. That's not a great sign, nor is the fact that he's posted a 4.14 ERA and a 4.75 FIP over the last two years combined.

So while the Orioles do still have the option to deploy Dominguez, they should be able to do so in more appropriate situations in the coming season. With Bautista returning, and with Yennier Cano and free agent signing Andrew Kittredge now in the fold, the Orioles shouldn't have to rely on Dominguez to pitch in too many high-leverage situations in 2025.

Orioles get positive news on Jordan Westburg's status

In addition to the Bautista news, it looks like Jordan Westburg is progressing fine after suffering a back injury earlier in spring training. Westburg hasn't played in a spring matchup in over a week, but as Roch Kubatko reported on Sunday the O's third baseman is now swinging a bat again and should hopefully return to play before the end of the week.