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Matt Bush returns to MLB after 12 years
Saturday’s Say Hey includes Matt Bush’s long-awaited return to the majors, a new home for Kyle Lohse and the player everyone should be rooting for in 2016.
Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports
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It only took Matt Bush 12 years to make his major-league debut. On Friday night, during a 5-0 blowout at the hands of the Blue Jays, the Rangers sent the right-hander out in the ninth inning to shut down the top third of the Jays' lineup. Bush caught Josh Donaldson whiffing on a slider, then utilized a variety of off-speed stuff to get the next two outs on routine pop-ups. If the rookie experienced any first-time jitters, he disguised them well.
Selected by the Padres with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft, Bush was slated for the majors since high school, but chronic alcohol abuse and a slew of legal troubles derailed his career, first in San Diego, then in Toronto and Tampa Bay. On the cusp of what might have been his first major-league season, Bush was arrested after a drunk driving incident left an elderly motorcycle driver severely injured. During the 2015 offseason, Bush completed his three-year sentence and signed a minor league deal with the Rangers after his release from prison. Minor league coach Roy Silver, who also worked closely with Josh Hamilton during his rehab process, assisted the Rangers in implementing strict measures to keep the 29-year-old clean and sober as he worked his way back up to the big leagues.
Personal issues aside, Bush lost no time recovering the major-league caliber pitching repertoire that impressed scouts earlier in his career. Through 17 innings in Double-A Frisco this spring, he struck out 18 batters, mixing in four walks and two home runs allowed while flashing his off-speed pitches against Texas League hitters. On Friday, his fastball command was sharp and his slider fooled all three of the batters he faced in Arlington. These are small sample sizes, to be sure, but it’s a promising start for a reliever who wasn’t throwing a baseball six months ago and hadn’t tossed a professional pitch in nearly five seasons. Bush still has a ways to go yet, but his contrition and determination indicate that he’s heading down the right path.
- Jackie Bradley Jr. is a good baseball player. Jackie Bradley Jr. makes outfield defense look like the second act of a Cirque du Soleil performance. Jackie Bradley Jr.’s beard is 16 years older than he is. Why isn’t Jackie Bradley Jr. your favorite baseball player?
- You won’t find the Tigers in the 2016 postseason, but their future looks far from bleak.
- Are the Astros ready for Tony Kemp, or should they just cross their fingers that Jake Marisnick turns his season around?
- Freddie Freeman is hitting baseballs again. Enjoy this while it lasts.
- Brian Butterfield has carefully shaped the Red Sox infield defense, and the rewards are sweet.
- Santiago Casilla went off-book during postgame interviews after the Giants’ 4-2 win on Thursday, but Grant Brisbee thinks his outburst was justified.
- How have the Cardinals fared after splitting ways with some of their bigger free agents?
- Speaking of ex-Cardinals, the Rangers picked up RHP Kyle Lohse on a minor league deal on Friday. The 37-year-old might not be producing at the same clip he maintained in 2012, but could serve the Rangers well in long relief or back-end rotation filler.
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