Félix Bautista DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista (elbow) told the media at spring training on Friday that he's currently at around 85 percent strength in his throwing program, but he's confident he'll be at 100 percent by Opening Day at the end of March. Bautista is over a year removed from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow after missing all of last year. The 29-year-old is being eased into spring training and won't pitch in Grapefruit League games right away, but barring a setback, it sounds as though he'll be a full-go for the start of the regular season. While the O's could also ease him in during the regular season, Bautista should be considered a lock as a top-10 closer if he recaptures his pre-surgery form as one of the best ninth-inning arms in baseball. The Mountain had 33 saves for Baltimore in 2023 while also posting a 1.48 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and elite 46.4% strikeout rate.

Baltimore Orioles right-handed relief pitcher Felix Bautista (elbow) won't pitch in Grapefruit League games until late in the spring and will mostly do backfield work until then. However, general manager Mike Elias said that Bautista has a "very good chance" to be on the Opening Day roster. Bautista had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in October of 2023 and missed all of last season, but he's been throwing bullpen sessions and should be ready for the start of the regular season, barring a setback in spring training. The 29-year-old could be eased back into the closer's role for Baltimore early in the season, but fantasy managers shouldn't ignore the fact that he was one of the league's best closers before his injury in 2023. Despite more risk being involved coming off TJ surgery, RotoBaller has Bautista ranked as the No. 7 fantasy closer.

MASN's Roch Kubatko reports that Baltimore Orioles right-handed reliever Felix Bautista (elbow) will be eased into spring training as part of a ramp-up period. He will not be a full-go this spring, but he's still expected to be ready for Opening Day in 2025. The 29-year-old will be 16 months removed from Tommy John surgery in a few weeks at the start of spring training and has been throwing off a mound since last August. The O's won't be in any rush to have Bautista appear in Grapefruit League games, but the good news is that he's on track to be ready for the start of the regular season, barring any setbacks once he starts ramping up. When healthy, he'll be the favorite for saves in Baltimore, although the team could give him more rest days than normal early on. In 2023, Bautista had 33 saves with a sparkling 1.48 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 61 innings pitched.