fbpx

Dodgers Spring Training: Walker Buehler ‘Unlikely’ To Start Cactus League Game

Blake Williams
3 Min Read
Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire

The Los Angeles Dodgers made fixing their starting rotation a priority during the offseason and ended up acquiring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and re-signing Clayton Kershaw.

They are also expected to get Walker Buehler back at some point this season. The right-handed missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery in late 2022.

Buehler made a push to return in 2023, but he was ultimately shut down to focus on 2024. Now, the Dodgers have been slow playing him, and according to manager Dave Roberts, Buehler probably won’t make a start in Spring Training, via Juan Toribio of MLB.com:

The Dodgers already ruled out Buehler for the Opening Day roster despite the progression in his rehab. Buehler said he is ahead of schedule and there have seemingly been no issues, but the Dodgers are prioritizing the postseason and later months of the season, rather than the early months.

Buehler started throwing bullpen sessions before reporting to Camelback Ranch for Spring Training and he has continued to do so in Arizona. It’s almost a certainty Buehler will eventually start Minor League games while on his rehab assignment, but it remains to be seen when the Dodgers will start ramping him up.

Buehler last pitched in an MLB game on June 10, 2022. His rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City last September consisted of two strikeouts in two hitless innings.

Walker Buehler encouraged by Nathan Eovaldi

Buehler is looking to join a select group of pitchers who have made it back to the Majors after undergoing two Tommy John operations. Chief among them is Nathan Eovaldi, who just won his second World Series championship with the Texas Rangers.

Eovaldi’s success has added to Buehler’s confidence he can get back to form. Unfortuantley, there’s also a long list of pitchers who haven’t been able to come back successfully or saw diminished results.

Buehler is set to become a free agent following the 2024 season, so this year will be key for him to prove he’s back on track and healthy.

Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!

Follow:
Blake Williams is a journalist from Reseda, Calif., who is currently the Managing Editor for Dodger Blue. He previously worked as a Managing Editor for Angels Nation, as a staff writer at Dodgers Nation, as the Managing Editor and Sports Editor for the Roundup News at L.A. Pierce College, and as an Opinion Editor for the Daily Sundial at California State University, Northridge. Blake graduated Cum Laude from CSUN with a major in journalism and a minor in photography/video. He is now pursuing his master's degree from the University of Alabama. Blake is also always open to talk Star Wars with you. Contact: Blake@mediumlargela.com