Notes on Dylan Bundy and O's instructional league

Here are a few things I have heard about the Orioles' instructional league workouts currently going on in Florida. The first thing I should point out however, is fans should realize instructional league is about instruction, of course and teaching the players. While they do play games there, you can't put a lot on evaulating any stats or results. No scores or stats are released from the games. Orioles 2011 top draft pick, pitcher Dylan Bundy, has been pitching in some of those games. He is throwing two- to three-inning outings and will pitch four or five times in Sarasota. I did hear he gave up two hits and one run over two innings in his first outing. Again, don't read much into the results. As you might expect, having not pitched in a game for awhile, Bundy has shown some rust, but he also has impressed the staff in areas they already knew he excelled - like his makeup and work ethic. Looking ahead to the 2012 season, Bundy may be scheduled to throw somewhere around 100 to 110 innings, maybe more if he can handle it. Most pitchers drafted out of high school begin the following season in extended spring, then pitch for a short-season club. Bundy could follow that path or he might be one of the rare talents good enough to start next April at Delmarva. Because he is on the 40-man roster after signing a major league contract, he will report to Sarasota with the big league pitchers in February. That means his offseason throwing program will probably start sooner than most minor league hurlers, somewhere around mid December. Greg Miclat, who ended the season on Bowie's disabled list, is fully recovered from his left thumb injury and reported two days ago to instructional league. He hit .280 in 120 Baysox games with 50 steals and hit .341 over his last 24 games there. Matt Hobgood, who ended the year on Aberdeen's disabled list, is also at instructional league. He is not likely to pitch in any games there after going 0-6 with an ERA of 10.46 in 26 2/3 innings with the IronBirds. The Orioles use time in those games in Sarasota to look at players at different postions. That doesn't mean they are changing positions, they are just taking a look. For instance, catcher Michael Ohlman has played some at first base, Conner Narron has played first, second, short and left field and infielder Mychal Givens played some in the outfield. I have heard some nice things about Gabriel Lino, an 18-year-old catcher from Maracay, Venezuela who was signed by Calvin Maduro. Lino may well have the strongest arm of any catcher in the entire O's minor leagues, rated a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale by one observer. This year in the Gulf Coast League, Lino hit .282 with two homers, 11 RBIs and a .832 OPS. The players that are playing in the Arizona Fall League that were at instructional league have left Florida for Arizona to play for the Mesa Solar Sox. The last day for these instructional league workouts and games is October 8.