Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo revealed on Saturday that relief pitcher J.B. Bukauskas will miss considerable time to start the season due to a Grade 2 teres major strain in his right shoulder.
“We’re talking in terms of months, not weeks,” Lovullo said in regards to Bukauskas’ timetable prior to their spring training game against the Los Angeles Angels.
The injury occurred in Bukauskas’ last outing during spring camp.
“It was the last pitch he threw, he felt a little bit of discomfort,” Lovullo added. “But it’s a lesson learned for all of us because we encourage these young players to step up and speak up when something happens.
“They see it as a sign of weakness when they say, ‘Hey, something’s wrong,’ and call the trainer out. To me, that’s a sign of strength when you’re able to stop the action and say ‘I need a little assistance.’ If it’s nothing, then we reload the next day, so lesson learned for all of us.”
The teres major is a small muscle in the shoulder that attaches to the scapula and the humerus.
Bukauskas was set to have a major role in Lovullo’s bullpen in 2022. He had a 7.79 ERA in 21 games for the D-backs in 2021, his first major league season.
Lovullo said the strain is similar to what former D-backs pitcher Taylor Clarke went through last season. Clarke missed nearly two months with the same shoulder injury.
The D-backs will have to rely on their new bullpen acquisitions of Mark Melancon and Ian Kennedy a bit more without Bukauskas available. The bullpen depth was one of general manager Mike Hazen’s main focuses this offseason.
