ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Right-hander Matt Bush returned to Texas on Tuesday night and was unavailable out of the bullpen in the Texas Rangers' 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels because of soreness in the AC joint in his shoulder.
The clubs said that Bush was to undergo an exam in Arlington with Dr. Keith Meister and receive an injection of an anti-inflammatory. The Rangers had no plans to put Bush on the disabled list, pending the results of the exam, and expect him to rejoin the club Friday in Seattle.
Bush dealt with similar soreness at times last season, the team said.
The revelation comes after Bush didn't not pitch the eighth inning ahead of Sam Dyson's ninth-inning meltdown. Manager Jeff Banister said after the game that Bush wasn't available because he had thrown 29 pitches Sunday against Oakland.
Dyson allowed three runs in the ninth inning to blow his second save of the season, and he also surrendered three runs in the ninth in a tied game on Opening Day. Banister said that the Rangers are considering their options at the back of the bullpen.
Bush would seem to be the top option, but his shoulder issue complicates that. Tony Barnette, who allowed a run in the eighth inning Tuesday, and Jeremy Jeffress, who allowed the game-winning run in the 10th, are also options with experience closing games.
Another right-hander, Keone Kela, remains at Triple A Round Rock after, according to sources, a late-spring behavioral issue that threatened clubhouse chemistry. He is serving as the closer at Round Rock, but has had two shaky outings in his three appearances.
