Dodgers’ Walker Buehler Struggles In Latest Rehab Outing
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was hoping Walker Buehler would throw between 80 and 85 pitches Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, but his night was cut short due to command issues.
Buehler was done after just 2.2 innings on Thursday, with only 34 of his 68 pitches landing for strikes. He allowed two runs in the first inning on two walks and two singles.
Buehler finished the night allowing four singles, four walks, and two runs in his 2 2/3 innings and struck out three.
For some perspective on Buehler’s command, the game on Thursday was his first start with a fully automated strike zone. Alex Freedman, the director of communications for Oklahoma City, wrote on his Twitter/X account noting the starting pitcher “had quite a few looks back to the scoreboard at pitch location.”
Buehler’s fastball sat between 94.6 mph and 95.9 mph and got seven swinging strikes on the cutter, but his breaking ball control was questionable; 13 of 15 landed outside the strike zone.
Roberts was optimistic that Buehler would be back with the Dodgers as soon as next week but after four rehab starts — three with Oklahoma City and another with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga — he has a 4.26 ERA with 11 strikeouts and seven walks.
Buehler has yet to complete five innings, topping out at 4 2/3 innings on April 6.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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