The Baltimore Orioles just had the floor removed right out from under their feet. On Wednesday, the team confirmed that their closer, Felix Bautista, underwent surgery. A surgery for a rotator cuff and labrum, which ultimately means it ends his 2025 season. Most likely ending his 2026 season, too. And for a team that’s trying to stay relevant in the AL East, this is like KO!

The 30-year-old flamethrower was right in the middle of a strong bounce-back season after missing all of the 2024 season. He was recovering from a Tommy John surgery after all. When he made his return this spring, he looked like the “mountain” that fans called and remembered him as. He posted a 2.60 ERA with 50 strikeouts across 34 ⅔ innings.

But destiny had other plans, and in July, that shoulder discomfort forced him to get back to the injured list. The latest diagnosis turned out to be far worse than what the Orioles fans could have thought.

The recovery timeline now seems to be at least 12 months; Baltimore will almost for sure not have their All-Star close till late 2026, if not later than that. “The Orioles announced that Felix Bautista is expected to miss the next 12 months after having shoulder surgery yesterday,” Fox Sports: MLB posted on X.

It is for sure gut-wrenching, given baseball gods have been so unkind. Still, while Bautista’s future is hanging by a thread, there is one hope that the Baltimore Orioles are holding on to—Dean Kremer.

At the recent run against the Houston Astros, he was phenomenal. A seven-inning shutout masterpiece of gameplay—after that rather shaky 2025 start. His ERA dipped below 4.00, and it reminds us that it’s not doom and gloom only in Baltimore town. But losing Bautista for 12 months is crushing, and fans are just sad about it.

Baltimore Orioles give up hope after Bautista’s exit

Nervously, an X user wrote, “A whole year without the mountain on the mound.” And this nervousness is understandable. Because without Bautista, there is that missing spark. Make no mistake, he has the potential but is injury-prone—and that is his curse. Remember, he broke into the majors in 2022 with a 2.19 ERA and then locked down the closer role. Then in 2023, he was even more impressive with a 1.48 ERA and 33 saves, and got his first All-Star nod. But elbow soreness cut his season short. Then Tommy John sidelined him for 2024 entirely.

“Welp. There goes 2026. No chance to compete now,” said a fan in X. It echoes the emoticon of a Baltimore Orioles fan now. But here is the silver lining—the Orioles are not left scrambling. This is because most of their bullpen arms are under contract for the next season. This gives the front office a full off-season to figure out who takes over as a closer. That call will likely fall onto the shoulders of whoever ends up being the Orioles’ next manager. And sure, Bautista’s road back seems long, but if rehab stays on schedule, he can be back in the second half of the next season—maybe right on time.

A frustrated fan said, “Bro can’t catch a break.” This is because just when Bautista’s 2025 return was looking like a success, another dark cloud looms huge now. Moreover, after two major surgeries in two years, how he will perform once he gets back onto the mound is questionable. He would need to prove himself yet again. And it’s not just him that the Baltimore Orioles recently lost. The injuries have brought restlessness to the team—Kyle Bradish, Adley Rutschman, and others have all found themselves sidelined. Naturally—how long the Baltimore Orioles will endure as a question does come up.

“Wow, that’s brutal,” said a user, and it is true! The Orioles’ injury woes have snowballed into a major issue. With so many players injured and them not doing their best, the team became more of a seller at the trade deadline.

The season, for now, is almost lost, and focus is on the future. Felix Bautista is, meanwhile, under team control through 2027. However, missing time could limit his leverage for a raise in arbitration. This is tricky for Baltimore; to manage a payroll while keeping faith in a player who is seemingly always injured—ain’t easy.

Jokingly, one said, “Dave Bautista wouldn’t have had that injury. But… hard luck, Felix. Speedy recovery, I wish you.” Well, don’t think they are related. ​​Still, it is a major blow for the Orioles. But coming to jokes, it would have been on the Philadelphia Phillies had they made the trade with the Orioles for Felix Bautista. Plus, given they had two deals just last deadline with them, it seemed like a possibility that Dave Dombrowski could have done it. Bautista’s 2.60 ERA in 35 appearances and years of club control were tempting. But the Os went with Duran, and that looks like a smarter move in hindsight.