Highly-regarded Orioles pitching prospect Dylan Bundy has been shut down indefinitely as he continues to deal with shoulder issues, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (press conference video and story via the Baltimore Sun). There is currently no schedule for the former fourth overall draft pick to return to action.
Bundy reached the majors briefly in his first full season as a pro at just 19 years of age, and entered the 2013 campaign rated as the game’s second best overall prospect. But he never threw a competitive pitch that season and ultimately required Tommy John surgery.
More recently, elbow issues have given way to shoulder concerns for the 22-year-old. Bundy experienced soreness about a month ago while working at Double-A and has not pitched since.
As the Sun’s Dan Connolly reports (links to Twitter), famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews found evidence of calcification in the back area of the shoulder. The incomparably experienced Andrews indicated to Bundy that he’d never before observed that type of calcium buildup in that area. Per the report, the calcium accumulation should at some point no longer cause pain, but Bundy will need to wait until then to get back on the mound.
That makes for an uncertain timeline. “Dylan throwing again is not imminent,” said Showalter. Details of Bundy’s path back to action remain sketchy, as Showalter explained that he’ll be “just kind of shut down for the near future, for a while, [to] kind of let everything calm down [and] see where we are. … He won’t be throwing for a little while, we’ll see how long that is.”
The latest medical evaluations may actually not be entirely negative, the skipper suggested, as he noted that he has not “heard surgery mentioned” as a possibility. Bundy himself added that there is no current thought that a surgical procedure will be necessary, as Connolly tweets. While Bundy says he hopes to be able to pitch again this year, he adds that a return that swift seems unlikely.
Notably, because Bundy signed a major league deal out of the draft (as is no longer permitted), he has already burned through all of his option years despite just one big league call-up, Connolly notes on Twitter. That obviously could complicate the team’s ability to retain him if he is not ready to contribute at the big league level come next spring.
Meanwhile, Showalter also noted that former first-round pick Matt Hobgood will need shoulder surgery. Hobgood, 24, went fifth overall back in 2009, but has never been able to harness his potential. He owns a 4.98 ERA over 325 career innings in the minors and has been working as a reliever over recent seasons.
Baltimore did get somewhat more promising news on another young arm, Hunter Harvey. Showalter said that the 20-year-old right-hander will soon begin a throwing program after being diagnosed with a flexor mass strain in his forearm earlier in the year. Harvey entered the season as a consensus top-100 prospect.
Could this be more in line with a calcified cyst then? Some are prone to these in the upper shoulder area.
That’s tough… I hope these injuries don’t destroy what looks to be a promising career.
This isn’t quite an injury.
This is exactly why no prospect should be “untouchable”..
Agreed. Chances are he’s going to have to nice career, but who really knows for sure?
Imagine if they had given the Red Sox Bundy instead of Rodriguez last year.. They probably could have gotten more than just Miller.. Perhaps the Red Sox would have thrown in a decent prospect or maybe even someone like Holt to help with the playoff push.. I am sure the Red Sox would have seen it as a coup regardless and the Orioles wouldn’t look so foolish this year for sending Rodriguez out for a rental reliever.. Now whenever he does come back Bundy has to go right to the rotation without being able to mature in the minors a bit more.. This is a lose-lose scenario for the Orioles any way you look at it..
That’s a lot of very unlikely hypotheticals waay after-the-fact. The fact is that when trades happen, you trade off of Present-Day values and risk, not what you think may (or may not) happen.
I think you’re a bit optimistic about what the O’s would have received for a high-level prospect who had just had TJ surgery a month prior to the trading deadline.
Having said that, Rodriguez was definitely an overpay.
Still too early to call that, Bundy could prove to be better than Rodriguez when he gets healthy.Rodriguez didn’t do so well when matched up against AL East teams.
Yes, but by the time Bundy gets the proper development and becomes a stud pitcher he will be approaching free agency..
Oh, pitching injuries are now isolated to prospects?
Especially pitching prospects. They are just one minor tear away from losing A LOT of value. But it’s like with the pitching prospects on the Mets. Of their 5 prospects, 1 or 2 of them are probably going to be really great in the majors. 1 or 2 will be solid big league players and 1 or 2 will probably be busts. The problem with trading any of them is that you really have to guess right or your job will not last very long.
Terrible news, he’s been touted for years as the future ace of the Orioles rotation. Will be interesting to see what happens next year with him being out of options.
I don’t think it’s that terrible, but it’s def not positive. It’s not as if he is injured. He’s just shut down due to complication.
Yeah obviously better then needing Tommy John but I think the Orioles would of loved to have had him in the minors for another half year at least because next year they will just have to look at him in spring training and go from there.
The big looming question now will be how they handle his MLB contract situation next year. Technically speaking, he needs to be on the roster, or else be lost to other teams. I think he may essentially be treated as a de facto Rule V pick.
I wonder if Bundy would rework his contract to give himself some more time in the minors next year? He’s more or less been sidelined for 3 years so he will obviously need some time to mature.
I think this is rather funny. Here is this young punk who told smaller market teams not to draft him because he wanted to make tons of cash without proving himself. Now he has injuries…..maybe justice is being handed out here.
I think he will go to the bullpen next year. Orioles already have six starters for five spots. they also have Tyler Wilson, Mike Wright, and TJ McFarland in Triple A. He will probably go to the bullpen and prove himself there before he joins the rotation barring injuries and transactions.