USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Everyone is just teeing off’ on Bumgarner in ’ 20
PHOENIX – We knew this season would be wacky with only 60 games, but the zaniness has exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations.
Take the Diamondbacks.
This was a team that was poised to make a run at the mighty Dodgers in the NL West, but nearly three weeks into this truncated season, no one has been a greater disappointment. At 610, they are in last place in the division and their ace was heading to the doctor’s office because of back spasms.
Madison Bumgarner, 31, the man they signed to a five- year, $ 85 million deal to lead their rotation, now is worrying them. Bumgarner’s fastball velocity has decreased, his command has gone missing and his mound presence has withered.
“I’ve seen him all four starts he’s made this year, and he’s not the same guy,” one veteran scout said Sunday night. “Not at all. He’s throwing 87 mph, he can’t locate it, and everyone is just teeing off.”
Bumgarner’s pitching line is gruesome: 0- 3, 9.35 ERA, 17 1⁄ innings, 20
3 hits, 19 runs, 18 earned runs, seven home runs, seven walks, four hit batsmen, 13 strikeouts, 1.56 WHIP.
“Coming to a new place, wanting to do good, and then this type of season on top of that,” Bumgarner said, his voice fading. “It’s just ... none of it has really went the way I wanted it to go. You’ve got to just roll with it and try to do the best you can.”
Bumgarner, who was caught peeking at the radar gun to check out his fastball readings Sunday at San Diego’s Petco Park, might have grimaced more seeing the numbers on the scoreboard than the back pain that ended his outing after two innings.
His four- seam fastball was clocked at 86- 88 mph, a 4- mph drop- off since spring training. His average fastball was a career- low 87.2, according to Brooks Baseball. Entering this season, his velocity had never dipped below 90 mph in any of his 308 appearances, spanning nearly 2,000 regular- season and postseason innings. But the four lowest average fastball readings for
Bumgarner have occurred this season: 88.06 mph in his opening- day start, 88.35 in his second, 87.4 in his third and now 87.1. His average fastball velocity this year: 87.96. This is from a guy whose fastball averaged 91.7 last year. What happened?
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Bumgarner said.
His delivery, control and mound presence made him one of the most feared pitchers in the National League, but that guy simply hasn’t showed up since joining the Diamondbacks.
“I wish there was a magic pill we could take and everything would be back to normal and we’d see that velocity climb,” D- backs manager Torey Lovullo said last week.
Bumgarner woke up with back spasms Saturday night and believed he was good enough to pitch. But six runs and four homers later, Lovullo pulled him and sent him back to Phoenix to be evaluated by doctors.
“I’ve never really had anything like this before,” said Bumgarner, who will earn a prorated salary of $ 2.22 million this season and $ 79 million over the next four years. “I know we’re going to get it right.”
Arizona envisioned that Bumgarner would be the staff ace to replace Zack Greinke, bringing a pedigree of three World Series titles won with the Giants.
“If you’re ever talking about longterm damage to a pitcher when he’s asking his body to do something that structurally he can’t handle, that’s on us,” Lovullo said.
The Diamondbacks, who placed Bumgarner on the 10- day injured list Monday, will be cautious. It may be a short season, but there’s no need to risk their future.