Notes on Hays, Zimmermann, Bautista, and more

Austin Hays is out of the Orioles’ lineup today while dealing with some lingering soreness in his right wrist.

Hays landed on the wrist while making a diving catch on the right field line in Chicago and was hit by a pitch in the same area. He’s kept playing, but has three hits in his last 38 at-bats over 10 games.

The lineup for Tuesday’s series-opening game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field is expected to include Hays.

“Off-day before an off-day, so we’re giving him a couple days off,” said manager Brandon Hyde.

“I give him a lot of credit. He’s been playing hurt and playing banged up, and this is just to give him a little bit of a breather.”

The Orioles optioned left-hander Bruce Zimmermann to Triple-A Norfolk yesterday after he tossed a scoreless sixth, allowing him to keep starting and building up his innings.

“It’s just to add a bullpen arm today that hasn’t pitched in a couple days,” Hyde said. “Zimm really helped us win yesterday. He got three huge outs for us in a big part of the game, in a big spot. He’s going to go back down to Triple-A. He’ll rejoin their rotation and continue to start down there.”

Yesterday’s 1-0 win over the Angels again highlighted the importance of Félix Bautista in the bullpen. He retired all four batters faced and stranded a runner inherited from Joey Krehbiel.

“I didn’t see him pitch before spring training this year,” Hyde said. “We heard about him last year. Sometimes the video guys would come in and show his innings to me that he had in Norfolk. The question was, was he going to be able to throw enough strikes? So, it was never about stuff, it was about throwing strikes up here.

“Still, when the season started we didn’t know if that was going to happen, either. The walk totals in the minor leagues are pretty high. You don’t know how guys are going to react to the big leagues. But his command is good and he’s throwing great stuff over the plate.”

And he’s doing it as a 27-year-old rookie.

“Félix is extremely … he’s just very relaxed, he’s so likable, and he’s just this really nice guy that is super easygoing,” Hyde said. “I don’t know if that helps him calm himself on the mound, just his mental makeup. But I saw some intensity yesterday, some emotion coming off the mound, and that was cool.”

Bautista began the eighth inning by getting a called third strike on Mike Trout on a 99.5 mph fastball, retired Shohei Ohtani on a ground ball and got another called third strike on a 99.8 mph heater.

“It was just great emotions all around, to strike him out,” he said of Trout. “We discussed the game plan, attacking them high and in, high and outside, and sure enough, the game plan worked.”

Bautista lowered his ERA to 1.82 and WHIP to 1.010 in 37 appearances and 34 2/3 innings, and he’s averaging 3.1 walks and 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s surrendered only four home runs.

“I’m a bit surprised, to be honest, but I always had faith and hope that whenever I got the right opportunity and the opportunity to just pitch and be myself, I knew I was more than capable of doing this,” he said via interpreter Brandon Quinones.

Jordan Lyles is starting Tuesday night against the Cubs, and Spenser Watkins starts Wednesday night.