Orioles activate ex-closer Félix Bautista; Trey Mancini retires - ESPN

BALTIMORE — The Orioles activated reliever Felix Bautista from the 60-day injured list Saturday, setting up the former closer to return from right shoulder surgery 14 months after his last major league game.

Bautista saved 33 games and struck out 110 in 61 innings while earning an All-Star nod in 2023, but he missed the final month of that season and all of 2024 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He had 19 saves in 35 games in 2025 before surgery to repair his torn labrum and torn rotator cuff ended his season.

Bautista had a 2.35 ERA in nine minor league rehab games.

«He is as close to full go as he could be,» manager Craig Albernaz said. «We're going to try to be as smart as we can with using Félix. But also, the game is chaotic and unpredictable, so you don't know what's going to happen.»

The Orioles also optioned pitcher Cade Povich and outfielder Heston Kjerstad to Triple-A Norfolk, activated outfielder Christian Franklin from the 10-day injured list and transferred outfielder Tyler O'Neill to the 60-day IL.

Mike Elias, Baltimore's president of baseball operations, said Saturday that Albernaz would return in 2027. The Orioles are 75-79 in Albernaz's first season and began the day three games out of an American League wild-card spot.

«It's a great vote of confidence,» Albernaz said. «Obviously, this season hasn't gone the way I wanted it by any stretch, by how the players wanted the season to go, how the front office, how the fanbase.… That's something I wear pretty heavily because of the seat I'm in and I don't take that lightly.»

In addition, Trey Mancini signed a one-day contract to retire with the Orioles, the franchise he played for during the bulk of his eight-year career in the majors.

The former first