Bautista: “I do think for Opening Day I would be at 100 percent"

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Mountain is moving in the right direction.

Félix Bautista is throwing in the bullpen and his surgically repaired elbow is responding favorably to the workload. He hasn’t experienced any setbacks, nothing that makes him doubt his availability on March 27 at Rogers Centre in Toronto.

“I feel really good right now, thank God,” Bautista said this morning via interpreter Brandon Quinones in his first media scrum since last spring training. “Marching on, everything is going according to plan, and that remains the goal to be ready for Opening Day.”

Bautista hasn’t unleashed a pitch since Aug. 25, 2023 against the Rockies at Camden Yards. He walked off the mound with two outs and two strikes, a 102.3 mph fastball not hinting at a physical issue but his reaction to it and departure setting off alarms.

Surgery followed two months later, leading to a prolonged and lonely rest and rehab schedule. He sat out the 2024 season, while the Orioles returned to the playoffs and were swept by the Royals in the Wild Card round.

“I think it’s been very difficult,” he said. “I think only someone who has gone through this really understands how hard it is. But I’ve been trying to do my best to recover and prepare myself to come back fully healthy and be prepared and ready to go.”

The Orioles lost their All-Star closer and one of the most dominant relievers in baseball, possessor of 110 strikeouts in 61 innings. He’s sure that he can return to that performance level.

“I have 100 percent confidence,” he said. “I just have to continue working and doing all the little things to make sure I get back to that point when I’m ready.”

Bautista estimated that he’s operating at 85 percent in his bullpen sessions and workouts.

“I do think for Opening Day I would be at 100 percent,” he said.

In the same spring clubhouse are Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells, also rehabbing from ligament-reconstructive procedures. Wells had Tommy John surgery in the minors in 2019, so he’s a two-timer in the scar club.

“We spent a huge part of last year here, and I think we were able to interchange some different thoughts and different ideas and just talk through different things together,” Bautista said. “I think that was good to have.”

The Orioles let relievers Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb walk but get Bautista back and signed Andrew Kittredge. They’ll have a full season of Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto.

The unit should be “real good and excellent,” Bautista said.

“I think we have a lot of exciting arms in this bullpen, a lot of experienced arms, and I think overall we have a really good group back there in the bullpen this year.”

* The Orioles still expect Tomoyuki Sugano to report this weekend. Sugano was getting his work visa in Tokyo.

“He’s on his way,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

* Hyde also said that Kyle Bradish is “right on track” in his recovery and return from Tommy John surgery.