Spring Training is underway as the Los Angeles Dodgers open up Cactus League play on Saturday afternoon at Camelback Ranch against the Chicago White Sox.
Dodgers pitchers and catchers have been preparing for games for over a week now, with bullpen sessions and live batting practice taking place just about every day.
One pitcher who had yet to take a mound was young starter Walker Buehler, who was being slow-played after setting a career high for innings pitched in 2018.
That changed on Wednesday when Buehler threw his first bullpen session of the spring. He came out of it feeling good and believes he is right on the schedule that he was a year ago, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“My schedule is probably right on last year, when I had that back [strain] early in spring,” he said. “I think the way I throw the ball and the way my arm works, I don’t need quite as many reps to get to the velocity and stuff like what I want to be at. I’m happy with it.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was also pleased with what he saw from Buehler considering it was his first bullpen. “I thought the ball was coming out good,” Roberts said.
“Execution, not where he would like it to be and where it’s going to be. The breaking ball had good shape to it, the change was OK. That was his first ‘pen in a while, so he’ll be fine.”
With over a month until the start of the regular season, Buehler is still on schedule to be ready to make his first start, which could be the second game of the season after Clayton Kershaw starts on Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Unlike the 2018 season, Buehler will not be pitching with an innings restriction in 2019. He has set a goal of reaching 200 innings, which a Dodgers pitcher hasn’t done since Kershaw in 2015.
It has not yet been announced when Buehler or Kershaw will take the mound for a Cactus League game. Daniel Corcino is scheduled to start Saturday’s opener, while Hyun-Jin Ryu will follow on Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
