Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler will not be playing in the major leagues this season, as he continues to recover from his second career Tommy John surgery. Currently, he is on a minor-league rehab assignment and had two perfect innings in Triple-A last weekend. His first Tommy John surgery took place in 2015.
Buehler expressed his disappointment in not being able to contribute to the team’s pursuit of a title in the 2023 postseason, but he is focused on returning fully healthy in 2024.
The recovery period for Tommy John surgery is typically 14-18 months, and even longer for a second surgery. Despite that, Buehler’s ability to start a minor-league rehab assignment just 13 months after the surgery is noteworthy.
The news of Buehler’s absence for the rest of the season is a setback for the Dodgers, who are already facing pitching challenges. Julio Urías is currently on administrative leave while MLB investigates an alleged incident under the league’s domestic violence policy. The rest of the rotation includes Clayton Kershaw, who is not fully recovered from a shoulder injury, and a number of pitchers who are either out for the season or have limited innings.
If Buehler had returned, he would have provided a valuable 3-4 inning option for the Dodgers, considering his successful postseason track record with a 2.94 ERA in 15 starts. However, it appears that Kershaw and Bobby Miller are the only guaranteed choices for the postseason rotation.
In his last fully healthy season, Buehler had a 4.02 ERA in 65 innings before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Prior to that, he was one of the best pitchers in baseball, with a 2.82 ERA and 13.3 WAR in 564 innings from 2018-2021. Buehler finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2021. Next season will be his final year before becoming a free agent.
Despite their rotation challenges, the Dodgers are leading the NL West with a record of 85-54 and are on track to secure their 10th division title in the last 11 years.
