Orioles To Be Careful With Felix Bautista Early On
4 hours agoBaltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista (elbow), who has been cleared to make his Grapefruit League debut on Monday against the division-rival Boston Red Sox, figures to be eased in early on in 2025 after missing all of last year due to Tommy John surgery. "I'm going to be as careful as I possibly can. I don't see him going back-to-back days. I don't see him going 1-pluses. I'm going to have to be careful about getting him up and sitting him down," manager Brandon Hyde said. In terms of who might fill in for a save chance on days that Bautista isn't available, Hyde mentioned Andrew Kittredge, Gregory Soto and Seranthony Dominguez. "I think it's probably a mix and match at that point." It's unclear exactly when the kid gloves will come off Bautista this year, but Hyde did mention "especially in the first half." Still, Bautista should be viewed as a top-10 fantasy closer.
Source: MLB.com - Jake Rill
Source: MLB.com - Jake Rill