The Baltimore Orioles look well on their way to winning the always competitive American League East, but they were dealt a serious scare on Friday night when All-Star closer Felix Bautista exited early with an apparent elbow injury.

While it's unknown at this point if he needs Tommy John, Bautista does have a UCL problem and will head to the 15-day IL, as GM Mike Elias announced Saturday.

Via Luke Jones:

“Mike Elias said early testing indicates some degree of injury to Félix Bautista’s UCL (elbow). The Orioles haven’t yet determined the full plan of how to proceed or how much time he’ll miss. However, Bautista is going to the 15-day IL with DL Hall being recalled from Norfolk.”

Not good for the O's. Bautista is truly having a terrific campaign and honestly deserves Cy Young consideration. That's just how lights out he's been. The Dominican is 8-2 with a 1.48 ERA and an AL-leading 33 saves, striking out a whopping 110 hitters in 61 innings and issuing 26 walks.

Bautista is a big reason the Orioles are in such a fantastic position right now and potentially losing him for the rest of the year would hurt. UCL injuries are never one to mess around with and for the sake of his long-term health, Baltimore will be cautious.

Yennier Cano, who has four saves in 2023, will likely step into the ninth-inning role for the time being. He's 1-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 57 appearances including a 0.98 WHIP as well. The Orioles have the best record in the American League and have won three in a row heading into Saturday's meeting with the Colorado Rockies.