Clay Buchholz Doesn’t Want To ‘Melt Away’ In Minors, Continues Solid Comeback

Clay Buchholz refuses to quit.

The Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher just returned from the disabled list Tuesday after being sidelined since June 25 with an oblique injury.

Buchholz was pitching well for Arizona after signing with the D-Backs in May before landing on the DL. After getting activated he seemed to pick up right where he left off when he started for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

The 33-year-old pitched into the seventh inning and now owns a 3-1 record with a 2.38 ERA. After struggling with injuries while with the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, he seems to be on the right track for a comeback.

“It’s just I’ve been around too long to melt away in the minor leagues,” Buchholz told Matt Carlson of the Associated Press. “I feel like I’m a big-league pitcher.”

He certainly has been around for a while. Buchholz rose to fame in Boston and specifically is known for throwing a no-hitter in just his second big league start. He stayed with the Red Sox before being traded to the Phillies prior to the 2017 season, but the righty made two starts before his season ended due to injury.

Buchholz signed a minor league deal with Arizona in May after being released from the same deal in March by the Kansas City Royals. But he knew the big leagues was where he belonged, and he showcased some of that solid stuff on the mound against the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs.

Buchholz earned the win Tuesday after the Diamondbacks beat the Cubs 5-1, with the righty going 6 2/3 innings and posting five strikeouts.