Joe Orsulak: Putting Dylan Bundy In Orioles' Rotation Would Risk His Future (He's starting anyway)

[LookitsPuck]

Harvey also made 20 starts of at least 97 pitches last season. Even if Bundy went into the rotation, he would most likely be looking at about a 75 pitch max - another major difference in the two cases. We are going to have to take the training wheels off and stretch him out at some point. This seems like a great opportunity to do so. Help the club this season, help his rehab and help get him ready for a starting role next season.

That's the direction the O's are going. They started him off in a bullpen role, i.e. pitching a few times a week. Now he's on a starter's schedule. But he's still only has thrown 57 pitches at most and he's averaging a lot of pitchers per inning. On top of that, he's only gone 3 innings. So, if they continue the babysteps mantra, it means:

1. He'll continue on the starter rest schedule

2. He'll be piggybacked each start

3. He'll throw 3 innings and only go 4 if the pitches make sense

4. If we're lucky and it's later in the year and he's effective and efficient, he *might* go 5 innings.

That's it.

[Can_of_corn]

*Not if we win, I should say.

Always, always, always take the chance at the World Series above future considerations. Always.

But you even liked the Parra deal.

[LookitsPuck]

*Not if we win, I should say.

Always, always, always take the chance at the World Series above future considerations. Always.

You don't put the World Series above blowing out a kid's arm. Come on. There's logical and then there's reckless. Where is the middle?

[DirtyBird]

But, this 97 MPH arm, could turn into the next Kershaw for 10-15 years, isn't that more valuable than one 1 WS?

This is flawed logic.

You are making the assumption that stretching him out to 75 pitches every 5 or 6 days and about 100 ip for the season is going to ruin his career.

You are also making the assumption that if we hold him in his current role for this season, then he is less likely to get injured in the future.

But yes, 1 WS is worth that outside chance of him becoming a HOF pitcher.

[Redskins Rick]

No, it's absolutely not.

then, we agree to disagree, then.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't see anything reckless about it. He's 3 years (!!) removed from TJ surgery. You keep him on a pitch count and piggyback him, essentially what they are doing with him now but reversed.

Three years from TJ but not nearly as far from an unprecedented shoulder calcification issue.

[Redskins Rick]

I don't see anything reckless about it. He's 3 years (!!) removed from TJ surgery. You keep him on a pitch count and piggyback him, essentially what they are doing with him now but reversed.

He hasn't pitched that many innings since his TJ, doesn't matter how long ago it was, what matters is how much the elbow is used to throw the baseball.

[LookitsPuck]

I don't see anything reckless about it. He's 3 years (!!) removed from TJ surgery. You keep him on a pitch count and piggyback him, essentially what they are doing with him now but reversed.

I'm on board with them piggybacking him. But they need to be careful about it. He's not far removed from other injuries since his TJS.

If he's truly on a 75-80 inning limit and they want to leverage him in the playoffs, then they need to bring him along slowly. Just as slow as they have. 3 innings, then 4 innings...

[Redskins Rick]

This is flawed logic.

You are making the assumption that stretching him out to 75 pitches every 5 or 6 days and about 100 ip for the season is going to ruin his career.

You are also making the assumption that if we hold him in his current role for this season, then he is less likely to get injured in the future.

But yes, 1 WS is worth that outside chance of him becoming a HOF pitcher.

I am not opposed to his standing, but I am in agreement that they limited the number of innings he throws this season.

I want him to be around for a very long time.

[murph]

Three years from TJ but not nearly as far from an unprecedented shoulder calcification issue.

Just wondering out loud, but could the calcification started from a lack of usage and this continued usage of the shoulder is actually helping prevent a re-occurrence?

[Redskins Rick]

I'm on board with them piggybacking him. But they need to be careful about it. He's not far removed from other injuries since his TJS.

If he's truly on a 75-80 inning limit and they want to leverage him in the playoffs, then they need to bring him along slowly. Just as slow as they have. 3 innings, then 4 innings...

I don't think going a few innings over 80 is going to hurt if he feels healthy. But, throwing all caution to the wind like Harvey last season could lead to disaster

[Can_of_corn]

Just wondering out loud, but could the calcification started from a lack of usage and this continued usage of the shoulder is actually helping prevent a re-occurrence?

No idea.

Hopefully an actual medical doctor joins the thread and gives you a learned reply.

[Can_of_corn]

If it's unprecedented, then we can't have any knowledge about how best to proceed. We already eliminated his cutter. We already are limiting his pitch count and would continue to do so even as a starter. It's just time.

I'm essentially saying DO EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE DOING WITH HIM NOW (pitching every 5th day, 4 innings max) but reverse it and have him start those games.

I was just making it clear that their were issues beyond the TJ surgery. I don't care when in the game his innings come, but I do believe it's wise to limit them.

[murph]

No idea.

Hopefully an actual medical doctor joins the thread and gives you a learned reply.

I am sure you know I wasn't asking you directly.

I am sure I will get some opinions, medically sound or not.

As for Bundy, all I can say is I am sure glad I am not the one who makes the decision and will just keep enjoying watching him pitch.

[Frobby]

How is what Joe said, any different than how the Nats handled Strasburg?

I don't see any similarity at all. Because of the timing of Strasburg's surgery, he didn't return to pitching until August of 2011, so clearly he wasn't going to throw a ton of innings between then and the end of the year. Nevertheless, he was used exclusively as a starter and pitched 5 innings in his 5th minor league game, then 6 innings the next time out, then was back in the major league rotation for 5 starts lasting 3-6 innings. They did keep him on a pretty strict pitch count, and he never threw more than 79 pitches. The next year, he pitched 159 innings, and though the Nats did shut him down early, they didn't baby him in the games he started. He threw 100+ pitches ten times, 90+ another ten times, and the other 8 starts were a bit less but often because he just hadn't pitched well and was yanked.

I think people forget that Bundy had his TJ surgery way back in 2013. He returned to the mound in June 2014, and made 9 starts. The O's shut him down about 3-4 weeks before the end of the MiL season. Then in 2015, he made 8 starts, the longest of which was 4 innings, before the calcium deposit issue showed up.