In July 2011, after playing his last year as a junior again with Rayo, Baptistão joined the first team for preseason games.[5] However, in his debut, a Trophy of Vallecas match against Sporting de Gijón, he suffered a collarbone injury;[6] his first appearances as a senior were made with the B team in the Segunda División B.
In the summer of 2012, Baptistão was recalled for Rayo's main squad for the preseason. On 25 August he finally made his first-team debut, starting in a 2–1 La Liga away win against Real Betis, assistingPiti on one goal and scoring the decider.[7] On 16 September he netted against Atlético Madrid but in a 4–3 away loss,[8] adding a brace the following month at RCD Espanyol but again not being able to help his team earn a single point.[9]
Baptistão quickly became first-choice in his first year with the Paco Jémez-led side. On 3 November 2012 he provided a further two assists for Piti in a 2–1 away victory over Málaga CF,[10] scoring his fifth goal of the season the following matchday, a 3–2 home defeat of RC Celta de Vigo.[11]
In January 2013, with the winter transfer window opened, Baptistão was linked with moves to the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Queens Park Rangers, Leeds United and Brighton,[12] but nothing came of it. On 14 February, in his second appearance after being sidelined several weeks with a muscle injury,[13][14] he closed the 2–1 home win over Atlético Madrid,[15] only to be downed with another collarbone ailment in April, which sidelined him for the rest of the season.[16]
Atlético Madrid
On 3 June 2013, Baptistão signed a five-year contract with Atlético Madrid for an undisclosed fee.[17] He made his debut for his new team on 21 August, replacing Arda Turan in a 1–1 home draw with FC Barcelona in the first leg of the Supercopa de España, which was eventually lost on the away goals rule.[18]
On 19 August 2014, Baptistão joined former side Rayo in a season-long loan.[22] In late September, in two matches separated by only three days, he earned his team six points by scoring braces at home against Athletic Bilbao (2–1)[23] and at Levante UD (2–0).[24]
On 21 August 2021, Baptistão signed a contract with hometown club Santos FC until May 2023, returning to Brazil after 13 years.[33] He made his debut on 4 September, starting in a 2–1 away loss against Cuiabá Esporte Clube, and finished the season with just eight appearances due to injury.[34]
On 10 August 2022, Santos announced the transfer of Baptistão to UD Almería.[36] He signed a four-year deal for a fee of R$7.8 million (€1.5 million).[37]
^Zhu, Wanning (1 March 2019). "武汉卓尔0:1北京国安:这就是野外求生的必备能力" [Wuhan Zall 0:1 Beijing Guoan: This is what it takes to survive in the wild] (in Chinese). Zhuanlan. Retrieved 5 June 2022.