Walker Buehler was forced to undergo Tommy John surgery back in 2022 when he was playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The injury forced him to miss the entire 2023 campaign. However, despite pitching all of 2024 and 2025, the new San Diego Padres pitcher reveals he only just recently noticed his elbow stopped hurting.
During an interview at the Padres' spring training matchup against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, the 31-year-old right-hander claimed the pain in his elbow went away only four weeks ago (early February 2026), according to Sammy Levitt of 97.3 “The Fan.”
“I've tried every treatment, supplement, and vitamin you can…something got rid of it, and it hasn't come back…I don't know exactly what did it that fixed it. I hope if it hurts again, we get lucky again.”
Walker Buehler says his elbow stopped hurting about 4 weeks ago.
"I've tried every treatment, supplement, and vitamin you can…something got rid of it and it hasn't come back…I don't know exactly what did it that fixed it. I hope if it hurts again, we get lucky again." pic.twitter.com/lte6SoBhgS
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) March 5, 2026
Walker Buehler has recorded 201.1 innings pitched since returning from Tommy John surgery. That's not including any pitches he threw in spring training or the playoffs in 2024 and 2025. He's entering the 2026 season pain-free for the first time in nearly three years.
Buehler is set to play his ninth MLB season after signing a minor league deal with the Padres this offseason. He's coming off a mixed 2025 campaign, as he struggled with the Boston Red Sox before being released by the club midseason. The Philadelphia Phillies acquired him to improve the pitching rotation for their playoff push.
In his three starts with the Phillies, Walker Buehler seemed to get things back on track. He pitched 13.2 innings, recording a 0.66 ERA and 1.171 WHIP while totaling eight strikeouts. Buehler has a chance to make the Padres' Opening Day roster, but that will likely depend on how the remainder of spring training plays out.
