Dodgers Team News

Dodgers’ Walker Buehler Will Return to the Mound Friday

Los Angeles Dodgers two-time All-Star right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler will get the start on Friday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Buehler revealed the news himself Wednesday:

Buehler will make his seventh start in the minor leagues. He holds a 0-2 record with a 4.15 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and a 1.62 WHIP in 21.1 innings. Buehler has made appearances for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and Oklahoma City Baseball Club.

The 29-year-old will make his first appearance on a mound since June 18 against the Colorado Rockies. Although the Dodgers came out on top in that contest in dramatic fashion, it was yet another disaster of a performance from the two-time All-Star, as he recorded one of his worst outings of the season.

Buehler will look to find his groove again, as he decided to leave the team and go to Florida to work out at a private facility following his stint in the 15-day IL. The right-handed pitcher is currently on the 15-day IL due to hip discomfort, where he’s been since June 19. It’s been a nightmare for Buehler in the big leagues this season as he’s recorded a 1-4 record with a 5.84 ERA, 31 strikeouts, an opponents’ batting average of .301, and 1.51 WHIP in 37.0 innings.

Buehler will be a free agent following the season, and if he continues on this trajectory, L.A. could either let him walk or sign him back at a massive discount. That is still some ways away, and we’ll see how he progresses with less than three months from the start of the postseason.

Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

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Ricardo Sandoval

I write about sports. Staff writer at Dodgers Nation, LA Sports Report network of sites, and Newsweek. I’m also lifelong Dodgers and Lakers fan.

7 Comments

  1. He’s disappointed with himself because his pitches are not moving enough for swing and misses. He knows what he used to be but it’s not happening on his mechanics. Although he has the fight and determination to figure it out. I sure hope so.
    Another disastrous outing by Martinez and bad decision by Roberts. Trailing by one run and still within reach of a win, Roberts uses Martinez again. 0-6 , no command, totally lost on the mound, and a morale killer, need to DFA him before anymore losses and damaging the team’s mojo. On top of that, Roberts left him in there for too long and lost the whole game right there.

  2. I assume you meant Yohan Ramírez since we don’t have a Martinez on staff or on the 40 man roster. and yes, Ramirez stunk up the joint again. He’s a thrower not a pitcher. Most the time he didn’t even come close to the strike zone. I am cautiously optimistic about Buehler but it is what it is and he just may not make it back this year… or ever…

    1. Sorry guys, my bad. I’m glad people see it also. I taught everyone was onboard with Roberts.

  3. Who goes down to OKC to make room for Buehler? Wrobelski? River Ryan? DFA’ing Paxton makes more sense now with 3 starters coming off the IL in the span of 3 days, Glasnow, Kershaw and Buehler, back to back to back. For the good health of all concerned, MLB should expand the rosters to 27, with 14 as pitchers, to relieve some of the stress on pitchers. 6 man rotations, 8 in the pen. The extra salary will be paid for with fewer arm injuries.

  4. Hey, Roger Santa Monica, you are so correct! Last week in the broadcast booth, Mookie said how much the game has changed since he became a major leaguer. I’m paraphrasing, but he said the game is so much faster and the pitchers throw so much harder. Being the old man that I am, I remember that when the radar gun became a “thing”, the bar was 90 mph for a very good fast ball. Now it approaches 100 mph. Even though major leaguers are bigger and stronger, the arm is vulnerable to the stress it endures by pitchers throwing so incredibly hard. This is why I agree with Roger that the rosters should allow 14 pitchers. Also, I can see teams going to a standard six man rotation with a seventh “stand-by”.

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