Manager Lorenzo Bundy isn’t closing any doors. Trevor Bauer could take the mound for the Diablos Rojos del México in Game 5 of the Zone Series against the Pericos de Puebla — but only if his arm checks out after his most recent start. With the series at its highest-stakes moment, Bauer is the name everyone in the Diablos’ camp is watching.
«There’s a chance» — Bundy’s words carry weight
Bundy put it plainly: «There’s a chance.» That’s not a denial, and it’s not a confirmation — but in the LMB, when a manager publicly names a pitcher as an option for an elimination start, it’s as close to a half-confirmation as you’re going to get before game day. The decision, Bundy made clear, won’t be made until the coaching staff evaluates Bauer physically in the hours leading up to the game.
The fact that Bundy brought it up at all — unprompted, in front of reporters — tells you something. This isn’t dugout rumor. This is the manager himself putting Bauer’s name on the table for the biggest game of the series.
The last start: the number that decides everything
The reason Bundy is hedging is rooted in how Bauer’s previous outing ended. The specifics of that start — innings pitched, pitch count, late-inning velocity — haven’t been detailed, but the fact that the manager is conditioning the Game 5 call on «how the pitcher feels» is a signal that the outing didn’t wrap up in routine fashion.
In playoff baseball, a starter who exits early or shows any discomfort doesn’t take the ball again in the same series without a medical clearance. If Bauer comes back clean, the Diablos have their best arm available for the game that could close it all out. If he doesn’t, Bundy will have to turn to a less proven option for the highest-leverage start of the postseason.
What changes depending on whether Bauer starts
The stakes of this decision are real. Bauer arrives in Mexican baseball with a résumé that includes sub-3.00 ERA seasons and double-digit strikeouts per nine innings at his MLB peak. That kind of track record doesn’t guarantee anything in the LMB, but it’s a genuine differentiator — especially in a winner-take-all game.
- If Bauer starts: The Diablos put one of the most internationally decorated pitchers in the league on the mound. The Pericos will have to work for every run.
- If Bauer doesn’t start: The Diablos go with a less battle-tested arm in the series’ most important game. The Pericos — who earned their spot here — will notice, and they won’t let a soft start go to waste.
Regardless of how Game 4 shakes out, Game 5 is where this series ends. And the biggest question in Mexican baseball right now isn’t just who wins — it’s whether Trevor Bauer will be ready when the Diablos need him most.
