Los Angeles Dodgers fans have already waited a long time for Walker Buehler to reclaim the form that earned him two All-Star selections and Cy Young consideration. And unfortunately, the wait is ongoing with no end in sight.
Buehler scuffled in his first rehab start on Friday night for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Baseball Club, surrendering four runs in four innings. An underwhelming performance is not necessarily cause for panic, especially since it is his first outing in over a month, but the biggest concern is how Buehler held up.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the 29-year-old righty (turns 30 on Sunday) “ran out of gas” towards the end of his start, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, as his velocity fell to 91-93 mph by the fourth. The hope is that Buehler can build up his velocity and stamina considerably the next time he takes the mound for OKC.
If not, however, LA will find itself in deeply troubling circumstances.
Dodgers are trying to figure out what their rotation will look like
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is expected to add pitching no matter what, but his shopping list might now increase since Buehler is so difficult to trust at this moment. The No. 24 overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft is 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA in 37 innings pitched.
He made his season debut in May after returning from Tommy John surgery and experienced similar durability issues. He made it through six innings in only two of his eight starts before landing on the injured list with right hip inflammation. With Buehler hitting free agency at the end of the year, time could be ticking on this union.
And that is beyond disappointing given how prosperous it was just a few years ago. That is an offseason dilemma, however. Friedman and the Dodgers are focused on stabilizing the starting pitching rotation for the playoffs.
As of now, Walker Buehler does not seem to be part of the solution. But there is a long way to go before the Dodgers officially enter World Series or bust mode in October. They will reassess the situation after his next outing.
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