Still feeling the effects of a significant increase in innings pitched during his rookie season, Walker Buehler was placed on a modified throwing schedule during Spring Training.
The Los Angeles Dodgers maintained it was not health-related, but Buehler later revealed he wasn’t feeling quite 100% as a result of the innings spike. Nonetheless, he downplayed any concern over the matter.
Buehler was limited to just one Cactus League start but unlike Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill, managed to avoid beginning the 2019 season on the 10-day injured list. Though, the young right-hander struggled some through the first month.
His best start came April 17, when he held the Cincinnati Reds to just one run (unearned) and had eight strikeouts in 6.1 innings.
Buehler was on his way to following that up with another strong outing against the Chicago Cubs, but hit a wall and was hurt by mistake pitches. In some regard that also applied to his start against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday.
Despite getting chased after giving up a string of hits, Buehler considered the outing positive, via SportsNet LA:
“I don’t know if what I’m producing is exactly significantly better but I do feel better. It’s a long year, we’ll keep getting there. Obviously, I don’t want to be perfect right now and be bad later, but you never want to be bad. I think this is a step forward, but we’re not done.”
Brandon Belt’s leadoff walk in the second inning led to the Giants taking a 1-0 lead when singles by Evan Longoria and Kevin Pillar brought him home. Buehler settled in nicely from there, retiring 11 batters in a row to get through five innings.
After the Dodgers pulled away to take a commanding 9-1 lead, Joe Panik led off the bottom of the sixth with a single. Buehler struck out Yangervis Solarte but then allowed an RBI double to Buster Posey and RBI triple to Belt.
He was removed at 5.1 innings, finishing with six strikeouts and the three runs allowed on six hits and three walks. Buehler nonetheless improved to 3-0 in six starts this season, but still sports an inflated 5.22 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.
The 24-year-old has refused to use his abbreviated Spring Training as an excuse for some of his trouble this season, but has also allowed it’s likely a factor.
That the Dodgers have still managed to win four of Buehler’s six starts is encouraging, as he figures to continue improving moving forward.
