The Texas Rangers have reunited with a former No. 1 overall pick, signing RHP Matt Bush to a minor league contract.
Bush, 37, played in five seasons for the Rangers during his career, compiling a 12-7 record and 3.34 ERA in 180 games while primarily pitching out of the bullpen.
The Rangers traded Bush less than a year ago to the Milwaukee Brewers for IF Mark Mathias (since traded) and LHP Antoine Kelly, who currently ranks 23rd in the Rangers' prospect pipeline.
Article Continues BelowDuring his stint in Milwaukee, Bush dealt with rotator cuff tendinitis and missed nearly two months on the injured list. Bush only pitched 10.1 innings with the Brewers, registering a 9.58 ERA in the process and seeing the velocity on his fastball dip dramatically.
Bush, the first overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2004, never actually played a game for the Padres and didn't make his major league debut until the age of 30. It was the Rangers who originally gave Bush a chance to resurrect his career after he had spent over three years in prison as the result of a near-fatal drunk driving accident. Bush made his debut in 2016 and eventually served as the team's closer for parts of 2017, recording 10 saves that season.
The Rangers currently sit atop the Al West standings with a 52-39 record, despite some of the bullpen struggles the team has endured. Texas had the 6th highest bullpen ERA at the All-Star break, and the Rangers might be hoping a fully healthy version of Matt Bush could potentially provide some support down the stretch run.