Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler will not pitch in the majors this season, the team announced Friday. Buehler had his second career Tommy John surgery last August and is currently on a minor-league rehab assignment, which has included two perfect innings in Triple-A last weekend. He had his first Tommy John surgery soon after being drafted in 2015.
"My goal since last year has been to return to a Major League mound this season," Buehler said in a statement. "After many conversations with my doctor, the Dodgers' front office, training staff and my family, we concluded that waiting until next season is the right course of action. I am disappointed that I will not be able to help this team go after a title in the 2023 postseason, but I look forward to returning fully healthy in 2024 and bringing another World Series to L.A."
Tommy John surgery typically comes with a 14-18 month rehab these days, longer for the second Tommy John surgery, so it is not especially surprising Buehler will not return to the team this season. If anything, it's impressive he was able to begin a minor-league rehab assignment as soon as he did. Buehler is pitching in competitive games only 13 months out of surgery.
The news Buehler will not pitch this season may not be surprising, but it is a blow to a Dodgers team that is running short on pitching. Julio Urías is currently on administrative league as MLB investigates an alleged incident under the league's domestic violence policy. The rest of the rotation currently looks like this:
- LHP Clayton Kershaw (manager Dave Roberts recently admitted Kershaw is not 100% following a shoulder injury)
RHP Walker Buehler(will not pitch this season)RHP Tony Gonsolin(done for 2023 with Tommy John surgery)RHP Dustin May(done for 2023 with elbow surgery)- RHP Bobby Miller (approaching his career high in innings)
- RHP Lance Lynn (leads MLB with 40 home runs allowed)
- RHP Ryan Pepiot
- RHP Gavin Stone
- RHP Emmet Sheehan
Pepiot flirted with a perfect game Thursday night and Sheehan and Stone are highly regarded and flashed their potential at times this season, though I don't think the Dodgers came into 2023 planning to give any of them postseason action. Given the state of the rotation, that seems likely, if not inevitable, now. Kershaw and Miller appear to be the only locks for the postseason rotation.
Buehler has a career 2.94 ERA in 15 postseason starts -- he starred during the club's run to the 2020 World Series title -- and even though he would not have gotten fully stretched out this month, coming back as a 3-4 inning option would have helped a Dodgers team that is short on arms.
Last season, Buehler, 29, threw 65 innings with a 4.02 ERA around elbow trouble before having Tommy John surgery. He was one of the best pitchers in baseball from 2018-21, posting a 2.82 ERA and 13.3 WAR in 564 innings. Buehler finished fourth in the NL Cy Young voting in 2021, his last fully healthy season. Next year will be his final season before free agency.
Despite their season-long rotation woes, the Dodgers are 85-54 and 13 games up in the NL West. They will clinch their 10th division title in the last 11 years later this month.
