Dodgers’ Walker Buehler Feeling Like His Old Self After Dominant Start vs Reds
On Saturday night, Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler pitched the best game he had in two years. Against the Cincinnati Reds, Buehler pitched six shutout innings, striking out seven batters, and issued no walks.
Buehler spoke with the media after the game, including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. When asked about how he felt on Saturday compared to the past, the 29-year-old provided this answer,
‘I think I was pretty good at one point–I’ve started Game 1 of playoff series and opening day, and things like that–and I want to be really good again,’ said Buehler, who earned his first win since May 24, 2022. ‘But I think I can be really good at 93-95 [mph], like I was tonight.’
‘Do I think 100 innings [into the season], when everything is stretched out and I feel confident enough that I can really reach back a lot? Yeah, yeah, I think it’s still in there. There are just more dominoes than I kind of anticipated.’
Mike DiGiovanna via the L.A. Times
Buehler has commented in the past that he wants to be able to touch high velocity and pitch like his former self. He has flashed that in his first three starts since returning from his second Tommy John surgery, but it has not been consistent.
In his first outing, his velocity was up around 98mph in the first inning before petering off after he admittedly got tired. Otherwise, his fastball lives in the 94 to 95 mph range, and he mixes in his cutter and curveball more.
The right-hander can still get there in terms of velocity. Perhaps not as often as he’d like, but he has shown the ability to pump a 97 mph fastball at the knees when he needs to.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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