Fastball

Baltimore Orioles Get Terrifying Injury News on Ace Closer

Felix Bautista reportedly has "some degree" of damage to his UCL, which is the worst news possible for an Orioles team that has been one of the best stories in baseball this season.

Brady Farkas

Baltimore Orioles Get Terrifying Injury News on Ace Closer
Baltimore Orioles Get Terrifying Injury News on Ace Closer /
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The Baltimore Orioles have been one of the best stories in baseball this season and enter play on Saturday with the best record in the American League, but they just got some terrible news.

Per Orioles broadcaster and television personality Melanie Newman on social media:

Félix Bautista has “some degree of injury” to his UCL. Still unsure at this time but will go to the IL. D.L. Hall recalled.

Bautista is the most dominant closer in the game so hearing this is gut-wrenching for the O's, who are barreling towards the No. 1 seed in the American League playoffs.

The UCL is ligament that is damaged when someone needs Tommy John surgery, and while we aren't there yet, that's always a concern.

Bautista is 8-2 out of the bullpen this season with a microscopic 1.48 ERA. He's got 33 saves and has struck out a whopping 110 batters in 61.0 innings. Regularly able to touch 100 mph, he's one of the most uncomfortable at-bats in all of baseball.

In his absence, it stands to reason that Yennier Cano could see late-game situations. He's 1-2 with a 1.62 ERA and pairs with Bautista as one of the best back ends of a bullpen in baseball.

The Orioles are 80-48 on the season and will take on the 48-80 Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

First pitch from Camden Yards is set for 7:05 p.m. ET as Kyle Bradish (BAL) pitches against Chris Flexen (COL).

Bradish is 8-6 on the year while Flexen comes in at 1-5.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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