Injured Los Angeles Dodgers' pitcher Walker Buehler has been beset by injuries since dominating major league batters in his first four seasons. Most recently, Buehler found himself on the 15-day injured list on June 19 with inflammation in his right hip.
It’s been a long road back for the pitcher but there could be light at the end of the tunnel. Buehler threw a bullpen session Tuesday and Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts noted that “Today was a good day for Walker. It was an aggressive pen,” according to Dodger Insider on X. However, the next steps in the pitcher’s recovery are still “TBD.”
The update is noteworthy as Buehler isn’t just attempting to shake off some rust after a month on the shelf. He’s trying to recover from a serious string of injuries that have derailed his promising career.
At the height of his powers in 2021 Buehler dominated with a 16-4 record, a 2.47 ERA, 212 strikeouts in 207.2 innings pitched and a major league-leading ERA+ of 171. He also posted a tremendous 7.1 bWAR in 33 starts.
Unfortunately, 2021 marked Buehler’s last full season to date as injuries plagued him over the next three years. In June of 2022, Buehler required surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow. Then, two months later, the two-time All-Star underwent his second Tommy John surgery (he had his first a month after being drafted by the Dodgers). This caused him to miss the remainder of 2022 and the entirety of the 2023 season.
Dodgers’ Walker Buehler takes the next step in his rehab
After a long battle back, Buehler returned to the mound for the Dodgers in May of this season. However, the remarkable comeback story hit a snag as the pitcher went 1-4 with a 5.85 ERA and a career low 7.5 K/9 in eight starts. After throwing just 37 innings, the Dodgers’ ace landed on the injured list once again, this time with the right hip ailment.
Interestingly, Buehler opted to spend his time rehabbing the hip injury away from the Dodgers’ organization. Rather than work with LA’s pitching coaches or head to the team’s minor league affiliate for rehab, Buehler chose to work through the nagging ailment at Cressey Sports Performance, a private facility in Florida, according to a report from The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
The 29-year-old righty’s unusual decision has not caused a public rift with the club. Buehler kept the Dodgers updated on his progress throughout. Still, LA can only hope the private rehab will yield results as the team desperately needs him back.
Despite leading the NL West by 8.5 games, the Dodgers have faced a slew of injuries this season. Dustin May is out for the year. Clayton Kershaw is still recovering from offseason surgery on his left shoulder and has yet to make his season debut (although it’s expected any day now). Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the injured list with right triceps tightness. And Tyler Glasnow also hit the injured list with a lower back issue, although he should return this week.
As a result, Dodgers’ starting pitchers are outside the top 10 in ERA (12), strikeouts (16), BB/9 (17), WHIP (12), WPA (11) and fWAR (13). Those aren’t terrible ranks by any stretch but they’re a far cry from an elite unit like Philadelphia’s starters who rank second in WHIP and batting average against while leading the league in ERA, WPA and fWAR.
Perhaps the long-awaited return of Walker Buehler combined with the improved health of the Dodgers’ starters will be the difference as the team prepares for a postseason run. Either way, Buehler has shown remarkable persistence through years of rehabbing and battling injuries.
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