Jose Bautista is nearing a return to the Blue Jays.

Bautista took batting practice on Saturday morning, ramping up his workload before he gets into live game action in Florida next week.

"Today was pretty consistent to a normal BP, which isn't typically full-game speed, but it's pretty close," manager John Farrell said. "With each successive day of work, either in the cage or now on the field, he's feeling more confident."

Bautista hasn't appeared in a game since July 16, when his left wrist started giving him trouble.