OC Register: Dylan Bundy still planning to pitch for Angels in final month

[AngelsWin.com]

SAN DIEGO — Dylan Bundy has no doubt that he’s going to be back pitching for the Angels this season.

Bundy, who has been out for two weeks with a shoulder strain, threw his first bullpen session since the injury on Wednesday, and then said he feels he has time to get back.

“We haven’t gotten that far, as far as how many pitches I need to get up to or whatnot, but I’m very confident that before the season is over I’ll be back out there at some point,” Bundy said.

That being said, Bundy is running out of time.

His session on Wednesday was just 20 fastballs. He said he’ll throw another bullpen session on Saturday. He still needs to mix in the rest of his pitches and likely face some hitters.

Although it’s too late for Bundy to help the Angels much, he certainly could help himself by showing that he’s healthy before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

“As far as free agency, the only thing I’m thinking about is not being on the IL at the end of the year,” Bundy said.

His contract year has gone about as poorly as possible. He has a 6.06 ERA and he lost his spot in the rotation. He returned in late July and pitched well for a couple of games before struggling again.

PROPS FOR BUTTERFIELD

Angels third base coach Brian Butterfield was mentioned by Derek Jeter as he was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Wednesday in Cooperstown, New York. Butterfield was a coach in the New York Yankees’ farm system when Jeter first signed.

Jeter credited Butterfield for helping smooth out his rough spots defensively. Butterfield said he was happy to hear of Jeter’s comments, but deflected all praise back to Jeter.

“He impacted me a heck of a lot more than I could ever impact him,” Butterfield said. “He was just a young guy, but players gravitated to him. He was in instructional league with a lot of older college guys. … They couldn’t get enough of him. During stretch they would hang on everything (he said). … He’s everything that you and I see from the other side of the field and then some.”

Manager Joe Maddon said it was nice to see recognition for Butterfield.

“I love when players do not forget where they come from,” Maddon said. “I know Derek. He’s a very humble man. And it doesn’t surprise me. Butter’s influenced a lot of guys. It’s kind of neat when a great player does do something like that. It just validates all the years of work that Butter’s put in too.”

NOTES

Shohei Ohtani will make his next start on Friday in Houston, which will be six days of rest from his career-high 117-pitch outing last week. Maddon said Ohtani has not indicated any extra fatigue since then. …

José Suarez and Jaime Barria will pitch the final two games of the series against the Astros. …

Alex Cobb is scheduled for a three-inning simulated game on Friday in Houston. If that goes well, his next outing is expected to be in a game, either a minor league rehab game or a major league game. …

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Brandon Marsh got his first opportunity to hit in the No. 2 spot on Wednesday. “This guy is going to be an upper end of the batting order kind of a hitter,” Maddon said. “He hits the ball hard. There’s some power in there. There’s line-drive ability, doubles and triples. There’s speed. He’s got all the attributes to play up top. So I just wanted to give it a ride.” …

Left-hander Reid Detmers, who had been starting before he went on the injured list because of testing positive for COVID, is expected to be limited to about 50 pitches when he returns, Maddon said. Detmers was quarantined in a hotel room for 10 days, so the Angels need to build his arm up again to pitch. Austin Warren and José Marte, the other two pitchers who missed time because of COVID, are relievers.

UP NEXT

Angels (RHP Shohei Ohtani, 9-1, 2.97 ERA) at Astros (LHP Framber Valdez, 9-5, 3.08), Friday, 5:10 p.m., Bally Sports West, 830 AM

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