Orioles place Bautista on IL with UCL injury
Baltimore Orioles All-Star closer Felix Bautista has been placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right UCL injury, the team announced Saturday.
The Orioles recalled left-hander DL Hall from Triple-A in a corresponding move.
"A Felix Bautista absence, even if it's a short one, is not something that's easy to cover. He's the best reliever in baseball right now," Orioles general manager Mike Elias said, according to The Associated Press. "But we do have many talented arms."
Bautista suffered the injury Friday against the Colorado Rockies. He recorded the first two outs of the ninth inning and had two strikes on Michael Toglia before uncorking a 102.3-mph fastball for ball two. Bautista immediately looked uncomfortable and walked off the field with the training staff.
Félix Bautista was just a pitch away from ending this game but had to leave after throwing this one. Hope he's okay. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/vdIMNG8FLc
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) August 26, 2023
Left-hander Danny Coulombe came on in relief and struck out Toglia to secure the save and a 5-4 victory for the AL East-leading Orioles.
"When the best closer in the game leaves the game, that’s never a good feeling," manager Brandon Hyde said, according to The Baltimore Sun.
Bautista has emerged as baseball's most dominant relief pitcher this season. The 28-year-old leads all relievers with a staggering 16.26 K/9 and boasts a 1.48 ERA with 33 saves across 56 appearances in 2023.