Bumgarner (fatigue) on track for next start after clean MRI
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SAN DIEGO -- D-backs left-hander Madison Bumgarner underwent an MRI exam that revealed no structural issues with his pitching arm.
“Everything’s fine,” manager Torey Lovullo said before the club’s series opener Monday against the Padres at Petco Park.
Lovullo added that Bumgarner remains on schedule to make his next start, likely Friday at home against the Dodgers. The veteran pitcher left the D-backs on Sunday for exams in Arizona after experiencing fatigue on Saturday during his first start of 2023, a four-inning outing at Dodger Stadium that included a five-run first inning.
“Just a little bit of fatigue,” Lovullo said. “It’s something that all pitchers go through at certain points in time. Really, he works hard for the four days in between his starts.
“We have to get him past that point. As of right now, he’ll be starting on normal rest.”
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The manager added that Bumgarner will throw a bullpen session before his next start -- part of the normal routine -- and the pitcher and D-backs staff will assess his status afterward.
Bumgarner, 33, has a 5.06 ERA across three seasons with Arizona, plus the one start this year.
After the second inning Saturday, Bumgarner was shown on the D-backs' television broadcast speaking with one of the team’s athletic trainers, and Lovullo said after the game that the team had noticed that his pitches didn’t have the same life.
Bumgarner’s velocity was down with his four-seam fastball, averaging 89.1 mph Saturday night as opposed to the 91.2 mph it averaged last year.
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Asked whether the D-backs might seek changes in Bumgarner’s between-starts routine, Lovullo said it’s not out of the question but would be something to discuss with the pitcher before any conclusions are made.
“We’d like to include him and give him the ability to make some key decisions about what he’s going to do to help himself get ready for that start every fifth day,” Lovullo said. “I’m just sharing what he gave to me -- that he just overcooked it a little between starts. It was more over-prepping than anything.”
MLB.com D-backs beat reporter Steve Gilbert contributed to this report.