Dylan Bundy's most recent outing looked better in person than in a boxscore

It was a rare sight in a pro baseball boxscore last Friday night. Pitching for the Double-A Bowie Baysox, O's top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy gave up six runs against Richmond.

In two innings plus two batters, Bundy allowed a career-high eight hits with no walks and two strikeouts, throwing 57 pitches. His ERA increased from 2.25 to 4.50 in seven Baysox starts.

The six runs allowed tied a career high. Bundy had given up that many just once before in 38 previous career pro starts and that was last July 16, pitching for Single-A Frederick at Salem.

So did Bundy just have a poor night? Actually, not really. Three members of the organization all had praise for Bundy's outing, his velocity and the quality of his pitches in that game. However, all three mentioned that his location and command were off and he left too many pitches up in the zone and in the middle of the plate. So he got hit a bit, and that included several soft hits.

Among those who got a report that was more positive than it looked from the boxscore was Orioles manager Buck Showalter. He talked with club scout Dean Albany, who was at the game.

"This is why you just don't go off numbers," Showalter said. "Dean said he came out of that stadium feeling so good about Dylan. The numbers, he gave up two or three infield singles, couple squibs, strike three that was called a ball. ... (Albany) said his body language, it was really, really encouraging. Said that looked like Dylan. That is why you have to put eyes on guys and not just go by numbers sometimes."

Bowie manager Gary Kendall had a similar take on the Friday game. I asked him how Bundy handled giving up six runs for just the second time in 39 pro starts.

"He handled it like a pro," Kendall said. "He's the first guy to tell you if he made a bad pitch. He's not an excuse-maker. He's dedicated and he had a taste of major league life and he knows what it takes. I saw poise Friday night.

"Sometimes, when things come unglued, even at this level, you suddenly start seeing a pitcher that doesn't back up bases and isn't in the proper situation. You don't see that with Dylan. He backs up the bases. He covers first on a grounder to the right side. So there is a tremendous amount of poise there."

After touching 96 mph in two recent starts, Bundy's fastball touched 97 mph Friday and was in the mid-90s more consistently. The command of his secondary pitches is improving. During the year, the O's have seen him throw some real quality curveballs, sliders and changeups.

Bundy has said his stuff this year is now comparable to what he had in 2012, when he went 9-3 with a 2.08 ERA at three minor league levels and ended the year pitching twice for the Orioles in September. He was the club's minor league Pitcher of the Year after that season and was No. 2 on Baseball America's top 100 prospects list heading into 2013.

The Tommy John surgery he underwent on June 27, 2013 kept him out all that year and limited him to 41 innings last summer. But the long road back is finally starting to pay off for the 22-year-old right-hander.

Bundy has handled the rehab very well, according to several within the organization.

"He's been great," Orioles director of player development Brian Graham said. "He has followed the program that (minor league medical coordinator) Dave Walker outlined for him. His work ethic is outstanding. He understands the process takes time. He's been great through the whole rehab process."

Bundy has improved during this season and is throwing better now than he did during spring training.

"It has come in velocity and command," Graham said. "And pitchability. He is doing a much better job of progressing in every area. Command of his fastball, his changeup, both breaking balls are improving, pitching down in the zone. The velocity is to a point where we are very pleased with it."

So as the Orioles limit Bundy's innings early this year so he has more available later in the season - and has innings to pitch in Baltimore should he get the call - his comeback from surgery appears successful and almost complete. Despite what his pitching line in the boxscore might have indicated on Friday.

Wilson gets the call and Murphy to the DL: The Orioles' 10th-round pick in the 2011 draft out of the University of Virginia, right-hander Tyler Wilson was added to the O's active roster for the first time last night as Bud Norris was put on the disabled list.

Wilson, 25, went 2-4 with a 3.43 ERA over seven starts with Triple-A Norfolk this season. He was named the Jim Palmer minor league Pitcher of the Year in 2014 after leading all O's minor leaguers in wins (14) and strikeouts (157) and ranking seventh in ERA (3.67). In 95 starts over five minor league seasons, Wilson is 34-28 with a 3.71 ERA.

The Orioles added four home-grown pitchers to their 40-man roster last November and three of them have already been to Baltimore as Mike Wright and Eddie Gamboa arrived earlier. Oliver Drake, the fourth member of that group. could well find his way on the roster later this year. Click here to read a profile on Wilson I wrote in November.

Single-A Delmarva catcher Alex Murphy out of Calvert Hall in Baltimore, went on the disabled list yesterday retroactive to Saturday with a strained groin. The 20-year-old Murphy had played in 32 games for the Shorebirds batting .258 with two homers, 28 RBIs and a .737 OPS. He ranked second in the league in RBIs. His roster spot was taken by catcher Tanner Murphy.

Final note: Joe Jordan got much criticism on this blog when he was the Orioles scouting director. But his last draft class for the Orioles was the group from 2011. That group included Bundy, Wright, Wilson, Zach Davies and Devin Jones, who was traded for Brad Brach.