‘I don’t want to stop playing.’ Matt Bush on comeback trail again with Texas Rangers
Spring training is all that has been on Matt Bush’s mind, professionally speaking at least, for the past year or so.
Six weeks in Arizona and a chance to make the Texas Rangers’ 2021 Opening Day roster kept him motivated through all the workouts and bullpen sessions following Tommy John surgery in 2019.
That chance has pulled him away from an infant daughter, born Feb. 11, and a first-time mom in Colleyville who has had her hands full during the deep freeze.
At least they didn’t lose power, yet another blessing.
Bush knows how fortunate he is.
His story is public knowledge. That thing happens when a former No. 1 overall draft choice nearly kills a man while driving drunk and ends up in prison.
Bush has more time serving the state of Florida than he does MLB service time.
Once again, he has to prove himself, but he also hasplenty to offer the young, rebuilding Rangers.
“Everything I do now, I’m trying to just stay safe, stay off that injured list, and just continue,” Bush said Saturday morning. “Count my blessings, knock on wood, whatever. Pray. Just keep going. It’s a lot of fun for me right now.
“I’m definitely one of the older guys and leaders a lot of these younger players look up to. I can be a very good example for guys. So I’m really happy with what’s going on and what I mean to this team right now.”
He tells his story whenever he’s asked or whenever something from his past might be of use to a teammate.
Bush was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft, as the San Diego Padres took the local prep shortstop/ace pitcher. When it became apparent that hitting wasn’t his thing, he quickly took to the mound with a plus-arm and a natural ability to throw strikes.
Along the way, though, he lapsed into alcoholism. All his misdeeds and lying and running from his issues caught up to him during spring training in 2012, when he hit a motorcyclist, ran over his head and nearly killed him.
Bush spent eight months in prison before reaching a plea agreement that came with a 51-month prison sentence. He was released Oct. 30, 2015, after serving 39 months.
While his Bush’s story isn’t a secret, some players have never heard it.
“I feel like it kind of shocks guys at first, because some of them don’t really know,” he said. “I learned early in my first visit to inpatient rehab, that was four months in San Diego back in 2009, about just being open and honest about things and it’s much easier to recover. So, yeah, that’s kind of just been the way I am.
“Take it however you want, but honesty and being real is the only way you can move past something and help someone because most people are going to hide their problems, their issues — and that’s what I did — until it just completely crumbles.”
But his arm still worked, and he landed a minor-league deal with the Rangers in December 2015. His audition for them was throwing in a parking lot of a Golden Corral, where he was employed as part of a work-release program.
He made his MLB debut in 2016, worked as the Rangers’ closer part of 2017 and came to spring training in 2018 attempting to be a starter. But his elbow was barking, and soon his mechanics were out of whack.
Bush had a torn elbow ligament, which he opted of have repaired with a band rather than traditional Tommy John surgery. It didn’t work, and he underwent Tommy John for the second time in his career in July 2019.
Like everyone, he was affected by the COVID-19 shutdown. He did almost all of his rehab in Arlington at TMI Sports Medicine, the home of team physician Dr. Keith Meister, but didn’t have a traditional rehab that includes facing hitters in games.
Bush fished a lot, met a personal trainer who helped him with various movements and strengthening, and he threw. A lot.
“I can’t even count how many bullpens I’ve thrown,” he said.
He threw his first of camp Friday, pumping fastballs in the mid-90s and throwing all his pitches for strikes again. Among those who watched him throw was manager Chris Woodward, who hasn’t yet named a closer.
One will eventually emerge, Woodward said, and it could be Bush based on what he saw Friday.
“He just had a calmness about him yesterday that the ball was coming out of his hand pretty well,” Woodward said. “It wasn’t like it was out of control and trying to throw it as hard as I can. It was nice and easy, good clean delivery.”
Bush is in camp on a minor-league deal and has to pitch his way onto the roster this spring. He said he loves that environment.
His backstory could help him out.
The Rangers are young up and down the roster, but figure to be especially young in the bullpen. Bush, who turned 35 on Feb. 8, would be the oldest member of the bullpen.
While he doesn’t have much big-league time, he’s been through quite a bit on the field and even more off it.
“He’s been around a while, he’s been through a lot of things in his career, and he’s got the elite stuff,” Woodward said. “We have a lot of young arms with some big stuff. We’re trying to get them to be consistent and develop these guys to be the pitchers of they’re capable of.
“To have a guy like Matt in the bullpen that can really help them, just from a mindset standpoint, mentality, just getting these guys to understand how to control their emotions. It’s a huge benefit if he does make the team and he’s on a roster.”
If Bush pulls it off, he says he could end up being the Comeback King.
“I love pitching, I love the game, and the Rangers have stuck with me this whole time,” Bush said. “I just want to just make another comeback and do this for my family and for the Rangers sticking by me and the fans and everyone else. I just I love baseball. I don’t want to stop playing.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
