Clay Buchholz didn’t even know if he was going to pitch this year.
After spending most of 2017 rehabbing from forearm surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his throwing arm — and then being released from a minor-league deal by the Kansas City Royals just five weeks into this season — Buchholz didn’t know what the future held.
But when a call came from the Diamondbacks in early May, the opportunity to join a playoff contender and reunite with his former coach in Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo proved to be a “blessing,” Buchholz said.
Buchholz may not be the same pitcher Lovullo knew during their time together with the Boston Red Sox from 2013-16, but the addition seems to be working out for the Diamondbacks, too, as the veteran right-hander appears to have shed the skin of his past inconsistencies.