Injuries and a couple rough outings from the starting staff raised concerns about the Los Angeles Dodgers’ rotation, but they seem to have settled in and have reinforcements on the way in the form of Walker Buehler.
The right-hander has had a long road to return from Tommy John surgery, but he’s slated to make his return to the Dodgers on Monday against the Miami Marlins. Buehler last pitched in 2022, and he’s had a somewhat up-and-down rehab process that took longer to complete than anticipated.
However, the Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is confident Buehler is taking steps forward, he said before Buehler’s final rehab outing, via SportsNet LA:
“Yes, yeah. I think the one more start for him, once we get him, he’ll be ready to go and can be used as a regular Major League starter. The fastball is playing, the command was better, the secondary pitches better. So I think we’re in a really good spot with Walker.”
Buehler went on to turn in his best outing in his final rehab start, allowing just one run and collected five strikeouts over five innings of work on 75 pitches. Buehler’s fastball velocity also reached the mid-90s.
He made six starts between Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Triple-A Oklahoma City, going 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 21.2 innings pitched.
Although it’s exciting for the organization and fans to get Buehler back in the mix, expectations need to be tempered after the long road back.
Dodgers made room for Walker Buehler
The Dodgers cleared the path for Buehler’s return to the starting rotation by optioning Landon Knack to OKC before their series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 26-year-old made three starts at the significant league level, posting a 1-1 record with a 2.81 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 16 innings.
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