TODAY: Buchholz won’t undergo surgery, telling Buchanan (Twitter link) and other reporters that he will receive a PRP injection. The right-hander expects to be ready to pitch by Spring Training.
YESTERDAY: Diamondbacks righty Clay Buchholz will not return to the club in 2018, skipper Torey Lovullo tells reporters including Zach Buchanan of The Athletic (Twitter links). Buchholz has been diagnosed with a flexor mass strain in his right elbow.
While the D-Backs won tonight, their postseason hopes are fading regardless of the status of Buchholz. Still, it’s another blow to a team that has collapsed late in the season.
The news is a bigger problem, perhaps, for the veteran hurler. He has had plenty of arm troubles in the past, which helps explain how he ended up in Arizona on a minors deal. Buchholz originally signed this year with the Royals but was allowed to depart rather than being added to the MLB roster.
The Snakes were rewarded handsomely for the decision to bring Buchholz in, even if he won’t be able to finish out the season. He not only filled 98 1/3 innings, but allowed just 2.01 earned runs per nine along the way while recording 81 strikeouts against 22 walks.
That showing seemed to set the veteran up for a more successful return to the open market. There were some issues, to be sure, including the fact that he’s averaging about two miles per hour less on his fastball than he did in his most recent full seasons. But that didn’t stop Buchholz from posting a 9.7% swinging-strike rate that raised his career average.
Still-unknown details of the injury certainly remain the key to this story, as the true severity of the injury isn’t really clear. It’s certainly possible that Buchholz will be able to get back up to full strength with some offseason rest and rehab. Regardless, it’s a disappointing way for an otherwise encouraging campaign to wrap up.
Extremely unfortunate, he and Jonny Venters, what they were able to accomplish this season was nothing short of exceptional..
Hopefully, both are able to stay healthy, so both can be rewarded during the off-season, with multi-year contracts playing the game they love and have worked so hard for..
Wish him a speedy recovery…
Venters had three full UCL reconstructions (12-18 months recovery) and another (4th elbow surgery) which was a partial UCL repair.
Buchholz had a tendon repair (4-6 months). There’s a large distinction between the two IMHO.
Pretty crappy of you to downplay one mans success just because another player went through more hardships. They both went through a lot and both deserve a ton of credit for making it back and being successful
I wouldn’t downlplay Buchholz’ return on its own merit, but I would downplay Buchholz making it back from a tendon repair when juxtaposed with four UCL surgeries (subsequent UCL reconstructions are much harder to come back from, chance of failure compounded with each). It’s not even close.
Keep digging
Venters is still a work in progress. 30 innings. Buchholz deserves applause. No one expected anything from either men. 2.01 ERA for 90 innings coming back like he did deserves a seat at the head table regardless of the accomplishments of others sitting with him.
Venters’ return to pitching, let alone pitching at the big league level, is unprecedented. Buchholz’ return from a flexor repair is not. That was the entire point of my post. It’s not that I’m downplaying Buchholz’ return, I’m emphasizing the extreme difficulty of what Venters’ did.
90 innings after flexor repair pales in comparison to 30 MLB innings after 4 UCL repairs. It’s not even close.
When looking at Buchholz, I’m also looking at his cumulative history of injuries. No one anticipated him to pitch again in the majors. As a Sox fan, at least I didn’t.
He hasn’t had a single surgery before the flexor repair, and the flexor repair isn’t a major surgery like TJ. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t expect him to make it back with his pedigree, and I’m not sure why anyone that thought Buchholz had no shot to make it back after a flexor repair wouldn’t be in awe of Venters. “Cumulative injury history”? Venters has literally spent four years of his life rehabbing his elbow alone.
Had this injury once or twice in Boston. Talented dude’s body betrays him every time he has a good run going.
Guy is too fragile.
Buyer beware…..
Rats take over Fenway Park
What a dump! Tear it down!
Stay away. Sox will do fine. NY stadiums aren’t immune.
It’s a shame he was having a nice year. Always liked him on the Red Sox. Now him and Kevin Millar will have more time to spend together.
Much like Trump’s presidency, everything in Clay’s elbow is crumbling around it!
Take it outside, Raindrop.
“Everything”? I wonder why he hasn’t had more issues in his elbow if literally everything is crumbling in his elbow.
NOOOOOOOOOOOO
The only time Buchholz can stay healthy is when he is having a horrible season. Poor guy.