Bautista feeling ‘rejuvenated,’ World Baseball Classic nearing

SARASOTA, Fla. — Foursome after foursome, Orioles pitchers made their way to the backfield mounds at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday, throwing their first bullpen sessions with official workouts underway. At the end, one right-hander stood alone on the slope.

After what he said Saturday morning was his fourth bullpen since arriving in Sarasota last month, Félix Bautista said he felt “rejuvenated” as he continued his progress toward opening the year as Baltimore’s closer after ending last season with a left knee sprain and undergoing a shoulder strengthening program this winter. After emerging as a late-inning weapon in 2022, Bautista is perhaps the most important figure in the Orioles’ bullpen as they pursue a playoff spot in 2023.

“I feel really good,” Bautista said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “I don’t feel like I have any setbacks. I don’t feel any discomfort or pain in my shoulder or knee, so as of right now, I hope that I’ll be ready for opening day.”

Both Bautista and manager Brandon Hyde said, ideally, Bautista will begin pitching in spring training games in mid-March and need to appear in four or five of them to be available for the Orioles’ March 30 opener in Boston. He said he threw with about 70% intensity in Friday’s bullpen, upping the effort by 5% with each session. He wasn’t on a throwing program this offseason, part of an effort to rest his arm, until he came to Sarasota last month.

“I think the most important thing obviously is staying healthy, right?” Bautista said of his goals for 2023. “That’s the most important thing for me. And then after that, it’s trying to help the team win, trying to help the team with whatever I can do to get to where we want to be at the end of the year.”

In 2022, Bautista, 27, became Baltimore’s closer after All-Star Jorge López was traded to Minnesota, finishing the year with a 2.19 ERA, 15 saves and a 34.8% strikeout rate. He is one of only four rookies in Orioles history to make at least 65 appearances, with Bryan Baker also reaching that mark in 2022, though he missed time with arm fatigue late in the year before the knee injury ended his season.

Hyde said it will be important for the Orioles to not overwork their key relievers this year. Baltimore brought back Mychal Givens to add a veteran presence to its bullpen, but the team will be without Dillon Tate, who led the Orioles in games pitched each of the past two seasons, for at least April because of a forearm strain. Hyde emphasized bullpen health in 2022; he didn’t allow a reliever to appear in three straight games until rookie Nick Vespi did so in September.

“A lot of those guys threw a lot of innings last year, more than they’ve ever have,” Hyde said. “We’re just gonna kind of monitor throughout spring, but I’d love to stay as healthy as we did last year, honestly, in the bullpen. We had a couple things, but I felt like we did a good job with keeping guys as healthy as possible, and we’ll continue to monitor that and make that important.”

Live BP before the WBC

Three significant Orioles will be leaving camp early next month to participate in the World Baseball Classic, and Saturday offered a preview of what it might look like if their teams face off.

Outfielders Cedric Mullins and Anthony Santander, who will respectively play for the United States and Venezuela in the tournament, took live batting practice off righthander Dean Kremer, who will pitch for Israel. Hyde said Kremer wants to be ready to pitch in Israel’s opening game March 12 against Nicaragua, and the Orioles are working to get him, Mullins, Santander and Venezuelan left-hander Darwinzon Hernandez in shape for the intensity the event will bring with it. Kremer led returning Baltimore starters in innings last season and is seen as a frontrunner in the club’s rotation competition.

“With Dean, you hope he has a great experience and pitches well there, and you hope that everything goes well and then he comes back healthy,” Hyde said. “It’s a different schedule for those guys, especially for Dean.”

Pitching opposite Kremer against Mullins and Santander was left-handed pitching prospect Drew Rom. A field over, catcher Adley Rutschman and shortstop Jorge Mateo faced right-hander Chris Vallimont and left-hander Cade Povich. ESPN’s No. 54 prospect in baseball and the centerpiece of the trade package Baltimore received for López, Povich threw several fastballs past Mateo and got Rutschman to chase a breaking ball in the dirt. Vallimont, who ranked among the Orioles’ top 30 prospects late last year but was removed from the 40-man roster this offseason, also generated some whiffs.

No paradox with Politi

Tate’s injury and Bautista’s uncertain status could open a spot in the Orioles’ bullpen for right-hander Andrew Politi, who Baltimore selected from the Boston Red Sox in December’s Rule 5 draft.

Politi must remain in the majors all year or be offered back to Boston. But Hyde said the possibility Politi could return to an American League East opponent isn’t affecting how they’re treating him this spring.

“We’re gonna do everything we can for him,” Hyde said. “Regardless of the team he goes back to, we’re gonna try to get him every opportunity. He’s going to have all the resources available to try to get better, and I’d like to see him make the club, if possible.”

Politi, 26, had a 2.34 ERA and 30.2% strikeout rate in 50 outings in the upper minors of Boston’s system last year. He described himself as “a guy that spins the ball pretty well” and said the Orioles thus far have emphasized “playing to your strengths.”

“It’s mostly just been like, do what you do best and don’t try to change it,” Politi said. “Don’t try to like nitpick locations and stuff. Just go out there and spin the ball well.”

Politi said he plays a cutter, curveball and nascent slider off his four-seam fastball; he worked in the slider at times last year, enough that it intrigued the Orioles when they saw it on video, and he’s made the pitch a more prominent part of his repertoire this spring.

He hopes his mix will keep the Orioles interested through spring and land him one of Baltimore’s eight bullpen spots. He’s grateful for the opportunity they’ve provided, regardless.

“I think after what I did last year and what I’ve proved, it’s nice to see another team value what I did last year and see what I can possibly do,” Politi said. “Just means a lot.”