Dylan Bundy expected to need Tommy John surgery

One of the big debates coming into this season was the #1 prospect in baseball -- was it Ranger infielder Jurickson Profar, or Orioles righthanded pitcher Dylan Bundy? One of the factors that weighed on the side of Profar is the inherent risk of injury that young pitchers carry.

That potential risk became reality this season with Bundy, who reportedly is visiting Dr. James Andrews today, and is expected to need Tommy John surgery.

Bundy, drafted #4 overall in the 2011 draft, pitched 1.2 shutout innings in relief appearances last season for Baltimore, after putting up a 2.08 ERA in 103.2 combined innings in low-A, high-A and AA. That included 30 innings where he allowed just 2 unearned runs on 2 walks and 5 hits in low-A, while striking out 40 batters.

Bundy, just 20 years old, has not pitched this season, and if he does need T-J surgery, he will likely be on the shelf until at least the middle of the 2014 season, and possibly could miss all of the 2014 season.