NEW YORK – Tony Mansolino issued an unintentional warning yesterday to opposing hitters.
The Orioles’ interim manager was asked whether reliever Félix Bautista is resembling the pre-elbow surgery version of himself, the dominant All-Star closer from 2023. Is The Mountain at his peak?
“I still think there’s another gear. I really do,” Mansolino said without hesitation.
“He’s been really good. I still think we’re gonna look up here in July and it’s gonna go up another notch. And I say that with all due respect. He’s been incredible. I think there’s another gear for the guy. He’s getting closer.”
Temperatures are soaring but Bautista is bringing some of his own heat. He struck out Aaron Judge on a foul tip Friday night at 99.7 mph and touched 99.2 against Jazz Chisholm Jr. after starting him out at 98. There’s some fluctuation, of course, with Bautista’s sinker also clocked at 97.7 mph on his strikeout pitch to Chisholm.
The first pitch to Trent Grisham prior to a leadoff fly ball was 96.3, but Bautista also reached 99.2. And he ventured into triple digits last week for the first time since his Tommy John procedure in October 2023.
“We perked up when we saw it,” Mansolino said.
“It was a long process,” Bautista said via interpreter Brandon Quinones. “There was a lot of hard work that went into it to get back to that form and get back to where I once was.”
More important are his results and recovery.
Bautista has made eight scoreless appearances this month with one hit, three walks and 12 strikeouts over eight innings. His ERA has dipped from 3.86 to 2.70.
“He looks like pre-surgery Félix to me, for sure,” said reliever Bryan Baker. “He’s been kind of back to business as usual, and I think as much as it could be, it’s kind of quiet because I feel like everybody in the ‘pen is thinking that at the same time. It’s not necessarily overlooked, but almost could be overlooked a little bit. And the fact that it’s kind of back to what we expect.
“It’s been good to see. That velo’s looking good and he seems to be able to get those strikeouts when he wants them, which is nice.”
A stretch of three consecutive rocky outings from May 16-21 might have raised some concerns. Bautista allowed four runs total with five walks in 2 1/3 and suffered his only blown save in Milwaukee to leave his ERA at 4.30. However, 11 of his next 12 outings are scoreless, with the only run, on May 30 against the White Sox, ruining a shutout bid but ending with a save.
“I feel like we’re getting to the hot stages of the season and my body’s feeling much better right now,” Bautista said. “I feel like it’s gonna continue to get better as the weather continues to warm up.”
If only the Orioles had been cleared to use Bautista this frequently at the beginning of the season rather than easing him into the competition following the long layoff. He’s gone back-to-back five times, all of them with Mansolino in the manager’s chair.
“It definitely makes a difference in the ‘pen, just kind of having to shift guys around to cover certain spots that he might normally be throwing in,” Baker said. “It makes a big difference with how we close games out and how we piece games together as they go. Not having to accommodate more days off and having to make sure he’s not throwing too much and stuff like that, it’s been a lot easier these last few weeks, for sure. And it’s kind of come around the same time as our starters really doing a good job of getting into the fifth and sixth innings, so we’ve gotten help on both sides and the middle.
“The last few weeks have been good, and especially this stretch here without an off-day, it’s putting us to the test, but we’re surviving.”
Judge homered Friday night, his 48th against the Orioles in 111 games, and reached base four times before Bautista struck him out in the ninth. The adrenaline was pumping.
“He’s a tough out, for sure,” Bautista said.
Perhaps they can be teammates this summer in the All-Star Game in Atlanta. Judge is dominating the voting and Bautista is earning consideration for his second selection after taking the loss in Seattle in 2023.
“I haven’t thought about it yet, but if they elected me, it would be an honor,” he said. “It would feel great to be able to go back and represent, especially after missing more than a year. To be able to go back, it would mean a lot to me. So that would be great.”