From the Locker Room: Aaron Bummer's Return

It was just a matter of days ago that the lefty stopper knew for sure he'd be back in 2020.

For all the calm preached by White Sox GM Rick Hahn and manager Ricky Renteria, treating Aaron Bummer's return as more or less a given, it was a bit startling to realize it was just in the last week that the lefty stopper knew for sure he'd be activated from the injured list.

"About four days ago." Bummer smiled in revealing when he knew for sure he'd return. "It was a slow and deliberate process. Once we got to the sim game stage, it was fight or flight, you’re going to make it or you’re not. Once that started, I felt pretty confident in my stuff and how I felt."

Things escalated quickly for Bummer after first feeling biceps discomfort during an August game.

"Honestly, I kinda thought I was being a bitch about [the throw to first where I was injured]. That was my hope," he said. "The next pitch I threw, I realized it wasn’t’t going to work. [The injury] happened a coupe throws before that that throw to first, but the throw to first really didn’t help."

Bummer felt relief on two fronts. First, that his injury wasn't more severe.

"At first, I was happy it wasn’t a tendon or ligament," he said. "As soon as we found out it was a nerve, it just going to take time. We pushed as much as we could. There never really was a doubt I’d come back, but coming back this year? Everybody has a little bit of doubt [about how fast they can recover]."

Bummer's second bout of relief came from ... the White Sox relief corps.

"The young guys have gone out there and proven what they can do," he said. "Everyone who’s come up have proven what they can do. We get to the ninth with the lead, we believe we’ll get that win every single time. Everyone in the pen has faith in everyone else, and the coaching staff has faith in putting anyone out there."

---

Aaron Bummer footage courtesy of the Chicago White Sox.