For some people, losing seven pounds in a month would be a struggle. For Clay Buchholz, it only took a few hours.
The 6-foot-3 Buchholz, already rail thin at 181 pounds, struggled to get in rhythm Monday in 90-degree heat in Atlanta. He threw three-plus innings, walking eight and allowing six runs.
When Buchholz showed up to the ballpark the next day, he weighed in at 174 pounds.
"I can't afford to lose seven pounds," Buchholz said. "I hope it was (water weight). I hope it wasn't muscle, I don't have much of that either."
Buchholz's previous start had been against the Blue Jays in Boston, when it was 64 degrees at first pitch.
"The difference between yesterday and the other days was pitching in cold weather until this point, then getting here and I didn't really train the same way and run the same amount," said Buchholz. "I felt it was a lot different yesterday, the feeling of it."
Buchholz has struggled in all sorts of conditions recently, and according to Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com, he has a 9.50 ERA over his last four starts.
Manager John Farrell preached caution with Buchholz, who missed three months in 2013 with a neck strain, and refused to put too much blame on the weather.
“He lost seven pounds yesterday which for Clay is almost unheard of," said Farrell. "It's different than the weather we’ve been involved in. That’s not going to be used as an excuse.”
Buchholz, who says he wasn't sick during his outing, may have also hyperextended his left knee when landing after throwing a pitch. His next scheduled start is Saturday.
