The Baltimore Orioles placed closer Félix Bautista on the injured list on Saturday with "some degree of injury" to his UCL, general Mike Elias told reporters, including Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun, Saturday. The exact severity of the injury is unknown, meaning that it's not yet known if he'll require Tommy John surgery.
The move comes a half day after Bautista exited Friday night's game against the Colorado Rockies. He had already recorded two outs and had run the count to 2-2 on Michael Toglia. The Orioles were looking to close down a comeback victory over the Rockies and their All-Star closer was one strike away from getting that done. Instead, Bautista received a visit from the Orioles' athletic trainer and departed the game. Here's a look at the pitch in question:
In a corresponding move, the Orioles brought up left-hander DL Hall from Triple-A. Hall, who has long enamored scouts because of his high-grade stuff, made one appearance earlier this season for the Orioles. He threw three innings, surrendering two runs on five hits and a walk. Hall did strike out seven of the 15 batters he faced.
Friday marked Bautista's 56th appearance this season. He has a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 61 innings. He's saved 33 games in 39 chances. Friday would've been his 40th chance if not for the injury.
With Bautista sidelined, it's likely fellow All-Star reliever Yennier Cano will take over as the team's primary closer. He's also been amazing this season, but the Orioles are most dangerous when they have the duo of Bautista and Cano finishing games. Losing one of them puts an extra burden on the rest of the bullpen.
