Orioles closer Felix Bautista pitches perfect inning in first game since 2023 Tommy John surgery

Baltimore Orioles closer Felix Bautista pitched a perfect inning on Monday in his first big-league game since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.

Bautista, a 6-foot, 8-inch flame-throwing righty, struck out two batters and yielded a weak groundball in the fifth inning of the Orioles spring training game against the Boston Red Sox at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida.

He reached up to 97 mph in his first outing in 556 days, since Aug. 25, 2023.

"I missed my fans. I missed hearing them every time I stepped onto the field," Bautista said through an interpreter. "It was very gratifying being able to go out there today and hear them once again."

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was encouraged. 

"That's the highlight of the camp so far in a big-time way," Hyde told the media. "Just the smile on his face and throwing 97 and feeling great. Another box checked for him, just great to see him out there."

Bautista hopes to be a big piece of the team this season after missing the entire 2024 year. He was a Major League Baseball All-Star in 2023 when he finished with an 8-2 record with 33 saves and a 1.48 earned run average in 56 games.

Through two seasons, Bautista has a career 1.85 ERA with 48 saves and a 12-6 record.

The Orioles open the regular season in Toronto on March 27. Their home-opener is against Boston on March 31.

Bautista hopes to be ready for the start of the season.

"It's something I thought about every day, and it's something that kept me going throughout my rehab process, throughout the recovery," Bautista said. "Having that thought in my mind kept me going."