Walker Buehler, the starting pitcher, is finally making his way back to the major leagues.
Buehler, who has been rehabbing from elbow surgery for almost two years, will start his first game of the 2024 season on Monday against the Miami Marlins, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said to the media on Wednesday.
Buehler’s Triple-A Oklahoma City rehab debut went smoothly. For five innings, he struck out five batters while giving up one run on seven hits and zero walks. Buehler would probably be called up if his last rehab start went well, as Roberts had stated earlier in the week.
The last leg of Buehler’s protracted recuperation process is his start on Monday against the Marlins. When he left a start due to elbow soreness in June 2022, it was his last time on a major league mound. In August 2022, Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery following arthroscopic surgery on that elbow; nevertheless, the procedure was more difficult than typical. He had undergone Tommy John surgery in 2015, the first time his UCL was replaced. In addition to having his flexor tendon repaired, Buehler underwent a second replacement in 2022.
Since recovery from a Tommy John operation usually takes a year, there was initial hope that Buehler could be able to make a comeback by the end of the 2023 campaign. However, the many procedure needed extra time to heal. In September 2023, Buehler made one rehab start. The Dodgers almost immediately declared that he wouldn’t try to return until the 2024 season began.
Buehler is prepared now that the time has arrived. The pitch clock and the Dodgers’ roster, which includes Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, are two things that have changed since he last took a major league mound. Thankfully, pitching has continued to operate in the same manner as before.
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