While O’s fans have been watching the team finally start to string together a few wins and run their record to a season-high four games above .500, we’ve also been keeping an eye on the happenings down in Bowie, where top prospect Dylan Bundy remains in limbo after being placed on – and coming off of – the seven-day minor league DL.
Bundy was shut down with elbow stiffness back on April 1, then finally started throwing again recently.
After a session of 90-foot long-toss yesterday, Bundy reportedly still felt discomfort in his forearm, near his elbow.
At that point, likely very frustrated, Bundy himself requested an appointment with Dr. James Andrews, according to Buck Showalter.
“Dylan Bundy requested a second opinion,” Showalter told reporters this afternoon. “He threw at 90 feet on Monday. It still doesn’t feel just right, so he went to see Dr. Andrews in Gulf Breeze, Fla., just to get a second opinion on what we think we’re dealing with. We’ll get something back and we hope to find out that (Andrews) feels the same way that our people do who have looked at it.
“He still feels some discomfort there, but he took his MRI and everything with him, I’m sure. I don’t know whether Dr. Andrews will take another one or not. We’re very supportive of it.”
Upon hearing that news, every O’s fan’s heart immediately sank quicker than a Jim Johnson two-seamer.
Though an MRI a few weeks ago showed no structural damage to Bundy’s elbow, O’s faithful will be waiting with bated breath to hear what Dr. Andrews recommends, dreading that we hear the words “Tommy John surgery.” Andrews has performed the surgery on MLB pitchers including John Smoltz in the past.
Personally, those three little words wouldn’t horrify me as much as it seems they would many Birds fans, if reactions on Twitter are to be believed.
A few weeks ago, when Dylan was first put on the DL, I was talking with a friend of mine. He rather flippantly suggested that Bundy just “go ahead and get TJ, we’ll see you next year.” While we of course don’t want Dylan to get unnecessary surgery, if that’s what Dr. Andrews recommends, it’s not the end of the world.
While it would be disappointing for Bundy to lose a year and not be able to contribute to the big league club at all in 2013, as many expected that he would, wouldn’t you rather he get this taken care of now, instead of dealing with nagging elbow issues for the next couple years?
Bundy is still only 20 years old, so if he got the TJ, he’d report to Spring Training ready (or nearly ready) to go at just 21. Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg had TJ in late 2010 (by Dr. Lewis Yocum, not Andrews), just months after his major league debut, and was back in dominating form to start 2012.
Tommy John surgery requires 12-18 months of rehab, so hypothetically, if Dylan got the surgery today, he could be back by next May. If you don’t want to rush him, fine – hold off until Spring Training 2015, when he’ll still be just 22 years old, or the same age Kevin Gausman is this year.
I’m not saying that I HOPE Bundy needs Tommy John surgery. I’m just saying that, if that turns out to be the case, while I’ll be disappointed, I won’t spiral into a deep depression. And I’d rather him just get it out of the way now, rather than dealing with these weird injuries in perpetuity.
2 Responses
Problem is that not everyone bounces back from TJ like some do. It’s just a scary thought, is rather him have no damage and be shut down, than get surgery
You are the reason people say anyone can have a blog. You talk about Tommy John surgery like its getting a tooth pulled. Why don’t you stick with stories that have some real thought? Your blog reminds me of some of the fans that call into the radio stations. They really don’t have anything to say, but they want to be heard. I’m sure the Orioles are not giving you a media pass.