GLENDALE, Ariz. — Left-hander Aaron Bummer, a key piece of the White Sox bullpen, remains hopeful about breaking camp with the team before Opening Day, but he’s behind the rest in these first weeks of spring training.
The same shoulder and lat area that limited Bummer to 32 appearances last season felt cranky when he arrived at spring training, and he hasn’t pitched off a mound yet.
“We’re just throwing now,” Bummer said. “I don’t have an exact schedule with me, or know the exact dates of everything. But I’m happy with the progress I’ve made. Since I’ve got here, things feel a lot better than they did. That’s all I can kind of ask for right now.”
Despite taking a step back, Bummer said his goal is to be ready for Opening Day in Houston March 30.
“We feel good now and we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” he said. “Don’t foresee issues coming up.”
Bummer suspects the inflammation stems from “residual stuff from last year.”
“I wouldn’t say that I reinjured or did anything,” he said.
After taking time off in the offseason, Bummer lost range of motion that he had built up.
“Cranking through that range of motion kind of caused some inflammation in there,” he said. “We got the range of motion back, and we got the inflammation out and everything should be smooth sailing.”
Bummer posted a 2.36 ERA with 30 strikeouts in 26 1⁄3 innings last season, his sixth. He owns a 3.03 career ERA. The Sox will be without closer Liam Hendriks as he continues to receive treatment for Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and plan to mix-and-match with a handful of high leverage relievers, Bummer included.
