Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) said the plan is for him to make a minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday. Buehler was encouraged by Wednesday's bullpen session and his overall progress since going on the 15-day injured list before the All-Star break. He feels like his delivery is in a better spot now after tweaking his mechanics. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler is expected to make two rehab starts with Oklahoma City and then rejoin the Dodgers in August. The Dodgers and fantasy managers will be hoping that the 29-year-old will look much better than he did when he posted a 5.84 ERA and 1.51 WHIP with 31 K's in 37 innings in his first eight starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. Given the fact that Buehler was one of the most dominant pitchers in the game pre-elbow surgery, he's worth giving another shot in fantasy.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he had a good conversation with right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) and believes the time away did him some good. Buehler will throw a bullpen session on Monday and will need a couple of minor-league rehab starts, depending on how everything keeps progressing. The 29-year-old went 1-4 with a rough 5.84 ERA (6.05 FIP) and 1.51 WHIP with a career-low 18.5% strikeout rate in eight starts this year after returning from Tommy John surgery before being placed on the 15-day injured list with right-hip inflammation. The two-time All-Star has worked on his mechanics away from the team while also rehabbing, and the Dodgers and fantasy managers are hoping he'll be more effective whenever he returns to LA's starting rotation. That's unlikely to happen until at least early August, and the Dodgers aren't going to rush him back.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) will face hitters in Kentucky in the next few days and then will return to Los Angeles to work with the team's coaching staff. Buehler had been working out at a private facility in Florida after landing on the 15-day injured list due to right-hip inflammation. The 29-year-old returned in 2024 after having Tommy John surgery and didn't get the results he was hoping for, leading the Dodgers to put him on the shelf on June 19. Although the Dodgers haven't released any kind of timetable for Buehler to return to the big-league starting rotation, it appears he's getting closer as he tweaks his mechanics. Fantasy managers should keep Buehler stashed in all formats in hopes that he can find his pre-injury form when he returns in the second half. The former first-rounder was one of the most dominant pitchers in the big leagues before his elbow injury.
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (hip) remains at Cressey Sports Performance in Florida and is throwing bullpens and working on his mechanics. "I can say there's progress," Dave Roberts said on Wednesday. "But I really can't even speak intelligently what that progress is. I really can't." Buehler made his return from Tommy John surgery in 2024, but the results weren't pretty, as the 29-year-old went 1-4 with a 5.84 ERA (6.06 FIP) and 1.51 WHIP with 31 K's and 10 walks in 37 innings in his eight starts. LA placed him on the 15-day injured list on June 19 with right-hip inflammation as a way for him to take a step back and work on his mechanics. It remains to be seen if he'll be able to return to his pre-injury dominance, and there's currently no timetable for his return to the Dodgers' starting rotation in the second half of the season.
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler's hip no longer appears to be bothering him, but there's no clear plan for his return from the 15-day injured list. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler is throwing and has been working "offsite," both in Arizona and at a private facility in Florida, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. "He's doing a little bit of everything," Roberts said. Buehler returned from a second Tommy John procedure on his right elbow and had an up-and-down eight starts with the Blue before being put on the injured list with a hip injury. He posted a 5.84 ERA in his eight starts, and there are real questions about how effective his fastball will be moving forward after going under the knife again. Buehler probably won't be an option to return to LA's rotation until the second half of the season.
Dodgers Still Deciding Walker Buehler's Next Steps
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said ahead of Friday's series opener against the crosstown-rival Los Angeles Angels that the club is still deciding what starting pitcher Walker Buehler's (hip) process on the injured list is going to look like. Roberts mentioned that the extra weight and strength Buehler put on this offseason might be impacting his mechanics. Buehler took a comebacker during Tuesday's start at Coors Field against the division-rival Colorado Rockies, and the Dodgers decided they had seen enough after the hurler gave up a season-worst seven runs by sending him to the IL with right hip inflammation on Wednesday. Buehler owns a rough 5.84 ERA (6.04 FIP), 1.51 WHIP, and 31:10 K:BB over eight starts (37 innings), and he may end up spending a considerable amount of time back in the minors on assignment to sharpen up his mechanics. There's a chance we won't see him again until after July's All-Star break.
Walker Buehler Can't Make It Through Fourth Against Padres
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler was knocked around against the San Diego Padres on Sunday, taking the loss in a 4-0 defeat. Buehler pitched just 3 IP and allowed three runs. He allowed five hits and two walks while striking out two. The 29-year-old was making his second start on the season after coming back from Tommy John surgery, and although it wasn't a disastrous outing, it certainly wasn't encouraging either. His limited pitch count and overall rustiness are to be expected, but fantasy managers were likely looking for a step in the right direction from his last outing, and that didn't happen on either front. It might be a while before we see the Walker Buehler that competed for a Cy Young, if we even see him at all this year.
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) will make his return from Tommy John surgery on Monday to face the Miami Marlins, according to manager Dave Roberts. Buehler will come off the 15-day injured for his first start of 2024 after having elbow reconstruction in August of 2022. The 29-year-old didn't pitch at all in the big leagues last year. Because of his long layoff, fantasy managers may want to temper expectations, but if Buehler returns to his pre-injury form, he could be the difference-maker for fantasy staffs. In his six minor-league starts, he had a 4.15 ERA and 1.62 WHIP with nine walks and 21 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innings. Rust should be expected from Buehler, but his first start against Miami will be a great matchup for fantasy purposes.
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler (elbow) made perhaps his final minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, allowing one run on seven hits and no walks with five strikeouts over five innings. After throwing 75 pitches in this outing, Buehler should be on the cusp of rejoining LA's rotation and making his highly-anticipated 2024 regular-season debut following a long road back from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers will make a final decision in the coming days on where his next start will come, but the 29-year-old star right-hander should be available to fantasy managers in early May. When we last saw him back in the 2022 season, Buehler logged a 4.02 ERA (3.80 FIP), 1.29 WHIP, and 58:17 K:BB over 65 frames (12 starts). Landon Knack is making Tuesday's start against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, and it may very well be his last with the major-league roster for now.
Walker Buehler To Make Another Rehab Start Tuesday
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that right-hander Walker Buehler (elbow) will make another minor-league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City next Tuesday. If all goes well, Buehler will then be activated to make his 2024 debut with the Dodgers. The 29-year-old hasn't pitched in a major-league game since 2022, but he got up to 86 pitches in 4 1/4 innings in his latest rehab start on Wednesday at Oklahoma City despite giving up five runs (three earned). His numbers on his rehab start have been nothing to write home about -- a 4.86 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 16 2/3 innings -- but the most important thing is that he's healthy. Buehler could have some ups and downs early on with LA, but if he can show any of his pre-injury form in 2024, he has the potential to be a huge fantasy asset down the stretch.
