The long-awaited return of right-hander Félix Bautista is coming.

The Orioles reliever, who has missed much of the last three years due to injuries, will begin a rehab assignment Sunday for Double-A Bowie before linking up with Triple-A Norfolk next week.

Bautista missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery. Then, after 34 2/3 innings in 2025, he suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff.

The road back has been long, and the Orioles and Bautista are equally tempering expectations at this point, even as excitement builds around an impending return.

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“I’m not really focused on the velocity right now,” Bautista said through team interpreter Brandon Quinones. “My focus is on doing whatever I can to stay healthy, be healthy so that, when I return, I can stay healthy and being able to do what I can to contribute. … I know that, in due time, the velocity will come back, and it’s going to take time.”

On Thursday, manager Craig Albernaz emphasized the need for time and patience.

“Just like we talk about with all our rehab players coming off injury, the biggest thing is their health and make sure we’re not pushing him too hard, and Félix is checking all the boxes,” Albernaz said. “And also, what he does being a back-end leverage reliever and sitting on your butt for seven, eight innings, and then getting ramped up to go into the game — there’s a lot that goes into it, and that’s why he’s here [in Baltimore]. We want to make sure he’s in a good spot, we’re supporting him, and make sure he has everything he needs.”

Even if Bautista isn’t throwing with his triple-digit velocity, the prospect of having him return is enticing. The 31-year-old was one of the best closers in baseball in 2022 and 2023. In 2023, when Bautista became an All-Star, he saved 33 games before an elbow injury ruled him out for the postseason and shelved him for 2024. When he returned in 2025, Bautista posted a 2.60 ERA in 35 games.

The recovery timelines for both his elbow and shoulder injuries set up for extended periods away from the team. Bautista went about his rehab process in Sarasota, Florida, which can feel redundant.

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A few weeks ago, though, he stepped onto the mound for his first live bullpen session — facing a batter in what is a pleasant return to normalcy.

“That’s when it first really hit me that, ‘OK, we’re getting close,’” Bautista said. “I started to feel really excited and happy that I would be able to return soon.”

Bautista isn’t the only injured player approaching a return. Infielder Blaze Alexander is also expected to begin a rehab assignment next week, possibly Tuesday in Durham, North Carolina, for Triple-A Norfolk.

This article has been updated.