Dylan Bundy is dealing well with a schedule of extra rest

As the Orioles go through the rest of this season with right-hander Dylan Bundy, it is clear they will continue to get him extra rest when they can. It is also becoming clear that Bundy is starting to get used to and even thrive with the adjusted schedule.

The team's best starter over the entire season, the 24-year-old Bundy is 12-8 with a 4.17 ERA in 23 starts. He has a team-leading 16 quality starts and the Orioles are 14-9 in his outings.

Bundy threw 109 2/3 innings last season. He is at 140 1/3 now and could be headed for something in the 180 range.

Coming out of the All-Star break, Bundy pitched on 11 days' rest July 18 and allowed one run in six innings versus Texas. In his next start, on July 23 on normal rest, he gave up seven runs over 5 1/3 to Houston. Then he got extra rest again. Pitching with eight days between starts on Aug. 1 versus Kansas City he gave up three hits and one unearned run over eight innings. He followed that with an extra day Aug. 7 against the Angels giving up two runs over seven innings. This past Saturday, back on the normal four days' rest between starts, he allowed three runs in six innings at Oakland.

In five second-half starts, Bundy is 4-0 with a 3.62 ERA. In four starts with six days' or more rest he is 3-1 with a 2.52 ERA. In 25 innings in those games he has walked two and fanned 24. Manager Buck Showalter told reporters Monday that Bundy will get added rest again and won't make his next start until Aug. 22 or 23. That would provide Bundy with at least nine days between starts this time.

Yes, the kid is adapting to pitching with extra rest, which, he says, provides some positives and some challenges.

"It's a hard question. Of course, you love the rest because it's more days and you're going to feel stronger on the day you start with extra rest. But sometimes you feel like you are out of synch a little bit or a little rusty out there because you haven't been on the mound for a couple of extra days. You can be rusty mechanically for the first couple of innings. I felt that a bit before the break.

"But I'm getting used to it. I'm trying to work really hard on my bullpens and make sure I'm mechanically good and where I want to be with that."

A pitcher who had Tommy John surgery in June of 2013 and dealt with a rare shoulder issue in 2015, Bundy clearly understands why the Orioles have to monitor him a bit differently than some others.

"Yeah, we've had, basically, not a specific plan, but one we can go back to and look at, ever since spring training. We sat down, all of us, Roger (McDowell, pitching coach), Millsy (bullpen coach Alan Mills), Buck (Showalter) and they kind of told me what the plan was and how we'd get some extra days here and there. Especially in the second half. So, I've known about it for a while. Sometimes it's an extra day or two extra days. They have a pretty good handle on it."

Bundy is fully down with the program and he understands completely how he is being used. Best of all, he is pitching well and he feels great physically this deep into the season.

"You do feel way stronger. But that is not always a good thing. If you feel too strong out there, you are not going to be able to throw a strike. You can be too amped up and all over the place. So sometimes you just feel too strong. But for overall arm health, it is a good thing to get extra days when we can.

"Arm is feeling great. It's recovering well. I'm getting sore in the spots where you are expected to get sore. I'm maintaining my work in between starts to be prepared for the next one," he said.