Walker Buehler returned to Dodger Stadium for the first time since leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers after spending one decade with the organization.
Buehler, now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, did pitch against the Dodgers earlier in the season, but it was at Fenway Park as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
As he returned to the stadium he called home for so many years and beame a franchise hero, the Dodgers welcomed Buehler back with a video tribute.
Buehler was drafted by the Dodgers with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, but did not make his professional debut until 2016 as he was recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Buehler became a top prospect and ended up making his MLB debut on Sept. 7, 2017. He went on to cement himself as a full-time member of the Dodgers’ rotation in 2018 and emerged as one of the premiere starting pitchers in baseball.
From 2019 through 2021, Buehler posted a 2.89 ERA across 426.2 innings. That stretch also included helping the Dodgers win their first World Series since 1988 as Buehler made five starts in the 2020 postseason, throwing 25 innings while allowing just five runs.
But the 2022 season was the start of a long struggle for Buehler as he posted a 4.02 ERA in 65 innings before having his season cut short by a second career Tommy John surgery.
That kept Buehler out for nearly two years and when he returned in 2024, he was unable to find any success for much of the year. He pitched to a 5.38 ERA in 75.1 innings, only staying in the rotation as a result of multiple injuries.
Things turned around for him in October, and Buehler became an important piece to the Dodgers winning the 2024 World Series. That included closing out Game 5 against the New York Yankees on just one day of rest to clinch the title.
In total, Buehler tossed 94.2 postseason innings for the Dodgers with a 3.04 ERA. In three starts during the World Series, he pitched 18 innings with just one run allowed.
Over his seven seasons pitching for the Dodgers, the right-hander was a two-time All-Star and tossed 713.2 innings with a 3.27 ERA.
Buehler ended up signing with the Red Sox on a one-year, $21.05 million contract for the 2025 season before being released on Aug. 29 and signing with the Phillies two days later.
Dodgers gave Walker Buehler World Series ring
In late July when the Dodgers faced the Red Sox, Buehler was presented with his 2024 World Series ring and an MLB gold program jersey by Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and more former teammates.
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