Dodgers News: Walker Buehler Tests Blister in Simulated Game, Roberts Optimistic

For Dodgers ace Walker Buehler, the 2020 season is starting to learn toward a wasted campaign. Once again he was slow-played heading into the season and struggled out of the gate. Now a nagging blister is bugging the 25-year-old flamethrower.

Despite being on the injured list, Walker is still getting his work on according to Dave Roberts. Doc provided the update on Wednesday morning. 

Walker Buehler threw yesterday. With the blister finger covered. He's not travelling with the team to Colorado.

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 16, 2020

Walker threw a couple days ago and it went really well. He threw 6 innings, 80 pitches with the finger covered and it went really well.

Moreover, Buehler is LA’s expected game 1 or game 2 starter in an ideal postseason series, but with only 10 games left after today, it may be tough to rely on him in an early playoff series.

Related

• Buster Olney Talks Walker Buehler Concerns
• Doc Roberts Split on Buehler Blister
• Walker Wants to Keep Pitching

Notably, thanks to the pandemic protocols, Buehler isn’t travelling with the team on this road trip. Still, Roberts says that he will continue to get his work in.

I think he’ll throw again at the secondary site when we’re on the road … I think that he’ll do one more simulated — probably a 6 [innings] and 90 [pitches] — and then he’ll make his last start of the season with us and be ready for the postseason.

A lot of changes are coming to this year’s playoffs in terms of consecutive days playing, so the need for an arm that won’t tax the bullpen is key for teams that look to play deep into October. While the Dodgers can out-depth just about any club they may encounter, the scales balance more toward the middle without a healthy Walker Buehler behind Clayton Kershaw.

NEXT: Tony Gonsolin Needs to Be in the Postseason Starting Rotation