Updates on John Means and more, plus checking in with Dylan Bundy

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde provided an update today on three pitchers that are currently on the 10-day injured list in starters John Means and Bruce Zimmermann and bullpen right-hander César Valdez.

Hyde confirmed what was reported on the high Single-A Aberdeen Twitter feed earlier today. Means, who has not pitched since early June while out with a left shoulder strain, will make a rehab start for the IronBirds at Ripken Stadium on the Fourth of July game at 2:05 p.m.

"He's starting his progression back to us hopefully right after the All-Star break," Hyde said. "Zimm is pushed back just a little bit. It's going to be, I think, pushed back a week or two. See how that goes. Valdez is throwing. He could possibly be ready tomorrow or early next week."

Means had been rehabbing in Sarasota since leaving his start on June 5 versus Cleveland in the first inning. He is 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA in 12 starts for the Orioles.

"It's his first rehab start, so he's going to throw two or three innings (on Sunday). Hopefully, everything goes well and we'll progress it from there," Hyde said.

So the Orioles rotation is down two starters and others are struggling. It has to be tempting for the Orioles to give Rule 5 right-hander Tyler Wells a chance to start. He threw scoreless outings nine of 10 times on the mound in June and then got six big outs last night. His ERA is 1.10 in 11 games since June 1.

"We've had a lot of discussion about Tyler," Hyde said. "Just because, one thing everyone has to be realistic about is it's a guy that didn't pitch for two years. And coming off Tommy John. You know, we just want to keep him healthy the entire year. You see what he's doing. We think so highly of his future. So innings is a factor there.

"How much we can use him and in what role? He's pitching so well in the role he's in right now that if we explore starting him, then we have to build him up. We'd have to expect to have him go more with someone piggyback behind him for a while. So we're still in discussion about it because Tyler is throwing the ball so well. And he's getting huge outs for us too in times when we needed him so it's hard to take him out of that role. We don't have really a replacement there. So what to do with him right now is hard. Just because he hadn't pitched in a couple years, that's the challenge."

Because of the rotation being short right now, Hyde is going to keep struggling lefty Keegan Akin in it at this point. His ERA is 12.18 his last four games.

"We're a little thin. We're doing the best we can with our rotation right now," Hyde said.

Tomorrow at some point, Hyde will get to pass on good news to at least one Oriole. He will tell that player, very likely to be center fielder Cedric Mullins, that he is an All-Star.

"Very excited. Very excited. Hope it's an All-Star starter. Should be," Hyde said.

Checking in with Bundy: O's media had a chance tonight to catch up via a Zoom interview with former Orioles right-hander Dylan Bundy.

Bundy pitched well for the Angels last year, going 6-3 with a 3.29 ERA and finished ninth in the American League Cy Young voting. But this season, he's struggled, going 1-7 with a 6.58 ERA and was recently sent to the bullpen.

Bundy has a lot of good memories of his time as an Oriole.

"It starts with being drafted by them in high school, and being in that organization with my brother (Bobby). Going to spring training with my brother, getting to the big leagues in 2012 and then everybody knows the injuries happened. ... Lot of good memories there," Bundy said.

This weekend, he is getting to see some former teammates.

"It's different. Not really sure what I was expecting," said Bundy, the O's first-round draft pick in 2011. "I guess because it's two years ago instead of kind of going to Baltimore last year or them coming here. A different feeling, I guess.

"Absolutely, I was looking over there (and a lot has changed on the roster). And everyone was asking me here how many guys I still recognize or know or still talk to. It's a lot of new faces over there for sure. But the guys still over there I've tried to get to talk to as much as I can and still trying to get hold of a few of them."