The injury occurred in the field during England's mammoth 414 in Southampton on Sunday. In response, the visitors mounted just 72/9, the injured Bavuma did not bat, and England secured a record victory.
There's some solace in the fact that the Proteas had already secured the three-match series, but worrying that a similar trend occurred in their previous ODI series in Australia, where the hosts bludgeoned 431 runs on their way to winning the final dead rubber.
The Proteas now prepare for three T20Is, starting Wednesday in Cardiff. Bavuma is not part of the squad for the short-format and is returning to South Africa for assessment.
"It is a little bit sore now, I will know properly when I get home," he confirmed in Southampton.
Bavuma will be in a race to prove match fitness before the two-Test series in Pakistan, which gets underway in Lahore on 12 October.
The diminutive run-machine has battled through a plethora of injuries in recent times. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup - where he injured his hamstring - Bavuma strained it again later that year, missed several series due to a chronic left elbow soft tissue injury and more recently hobbled through the epic World Test Championship Final with his dodgy hamstring.
South African off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen has been cleared to continue bowling in international cricket following an independent assessment of his bowling action by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The Proteas will start their World Test Championship title defence with a two-match series in Pakistan next month as part of an all-format tour.
Former England seamer Stuart Broad has raised concerns over the mental and physical fatigue affecting the national white-ball side.
South Africa clinched a dramatic five-run victory over England at Lord's to secure the one-day international series with a game to spare.
