The twilight of Madison Bumgarner’s career continues to be one to forget, and the Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher is dealing with a new and concerning issue.
Bumgarner complained of arm fatigue after his first start of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to manager Torey Lovullo. While Bumgarner is confident he will not miss a start, the Diamondbacks want to do some further testing on his arm.
Madison Bumgarner has been sent back to Arizona to be evaluated by the club’s medical team after saying he was fatigued in last night’s start, manager Torey Lovullo said.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) April 2, 2023
Lovullo clarified that he was sent back for tests on his arm. Bumgarner was feeling “arm fatigue,” the manager said.
— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) April 2, 2023
Bumgarner was rocked in his season debut on Saturday. He lasted four innings against the Dodgers and allowed five earned runs on four hits with four walks while striking out two.
Arm fatigue after just one start is never a good sign, but unfortunately for the Diamondbacks, Bumgarner’s prospects going forward do not look particularly positive regardless of the health of his arm. He posted a 4.88 ERA in 30 starts in 2022 and has a 5.06 ERA since joining Arizona prior to the 2020 season. The 33-year-old is still owed $37 million through the 2024 season, which is part of why the team apparently looked into moving him during the offseason.
