Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler made his injury return in 2024 after his second Tommy John surgery in 2022. However, the former Cy Young candidate has had a slow start. To add to Buehler's challenges, Los Angeles made a concerning move on his status before their third late-June series matchup against the Colorado Rockies.
Dave Roberts revealed the Dodgers are putting Buehler on the injured list with a hip ailment, per Jack Harris. Roberts said Buehler had been dealing with hip discomfort before LA's Rockies matchup on Tuesday night. Buehler's absence could allow him to reset after his early-season struggles.
Through eight games, the 29-year-old right-hander possesses a 1-4 record and has thrown 31 strikeouts. In addition, he holds a 5.84 ERA along with 1.51 WHIP. Hopefully, Walker Buehler will fully recover from his new injury woe and come back with an improved showing.
Buehler gave up seven runs and seven hits in his last start against the Rockies on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the Dodgers beat Colorado 11-9. Buehler got brutally honest on his challenging start to the season after the concerning performance.
“We’ve thought about taking a blow. Taking a month off, taking a week off,” Buehler said, via SportsNet LA. “Trying to figure out how to get me reset. And maybe that’s coming, maybe not. I don’t know. We’ll see. It sucks to feel invaluable or like you’re hampering your team.”
In his last fully healthy season (2021), Buehler posted a 2.47 ERA with 212 strikeouts. His hefty production nearly saw him become the Dodgers' ace at the time. However, he struggled in 2022, which was the same year he suffered his serious elbow injury.
With time and recovery, Walker Buehler will be back and ready to contribute more to a Dodgers team with high aspirations.
Dodgers look to stay strong despite Walker Buehler injury, slump
Roughly two weeks before the emergence of his hip injury, Buehler admitted that his performance was not where he wanted it to be.
“Physically, I’ve probably exceeded where I thought I was gonna be, but performance-wise, I feel like [crap],” Buehler said, via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “I’m not anywhere close to where I want to be. You think with a layoff like that, you’re not gonna have the same expectations you always have, but when you start tallying these starts, it’s kind of put-up or shut-up time for me, at least mentally, and these last two obviously haven’t been good enough.”
Buehler is not satisfied with his performance, but he has teammates who are keeping the Dodgers' defense afloat. Los Angeles retains the stout services of Tyler Glasnow, Evan Phillips, and Daniel Hudson.
Through 15 appearances, Glasnow leads the league with 125 strikeouts. He has also accounted for 0.91 WHIP, a top-four MLB ranking. He is supported by Phillips, who leads LA in saves (11), and Hudson, who leads the team in holds (10).
Los Angeles wants to get their third straight win over the Rockies on Wednesday night in another pivotal matchup. If LA comes out on top, they will improve to 46-30 and strengthen their hold on the NL West.
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