Dodgers Team News

Walker Buehler Update: Bullpen Session Scratched Due To Continued Rib Soreness

Saturday could have been a huge day for the Dodgers’ starting rotation. Clayton Kershaw made his return to the mound by throwing three innings against the Mets. Walker Buehler was scheduled to throw a bullpen prior to the game. However, things don’t always go according to plan in baseball. Buehler did not throw his scheduled bullpen, and remains sidelined for the foreseeable future until the pain disappears.

Dave Roberts offered some commentary on why Buehler did not throw.

“Walker is just still a little sore with the ribs when he plays catch,” Roberts said. “Walker, it’s more day to day, and figure out when we can get him [to throw] off the mound. Once we check that box, we’ll try to ramp him up.”

Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports that the bullpen session could still happen on Sunday.

Buehler was put on the disabled list after his start on June 8. He’s thrown 51.1 innings this season with a 2.63 ERA. All of that comes packaged with 54 strikeouts against 11 walks issued. It is believed that Buehler is running away with the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Dodgers fans will need to keep checking on this ‘wait and see’ situation as Buehler gets back to full strength. Rib injuries can be something that are lingering in nature, and there’s no reason to rush Buehler back before he’s fully healthy.

Analysis

It’s not the most ideal news – but Buehler will get better in due time. The Dodgers shouldn’t feel compelled to rush him back. Still, it’s scary to think about what a rotation of Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Stripling, and Buehler could look like with Alex Wood in the mix. Buehler probably has somewhere between 100 and 120 innings left this season dependent upon his performance. This simply pushes back his time clock and allows the team to use him later into the season. The biggest concern would be the amount of rust Buehler might have when he does return to action. He was in such a groove before succumbing to injury.

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Staff Writer

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