Walker Buehler made strides toward finding consistency with his delivery and pitches on Friday night, but the start was cut short due to what the Los Angeles Dodgers initially diagnosed as right elbow discomfort.
Buehler threw 70 pitches over four innings, allowed three runs on four hits and collected six strikeouts prior to being removed. Buehler revealed after the 7-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants that he felt a “zing” in his right elbow when throwing a curveball in the third inning.
It was a feeling he’s previously dealt with since undergoing Tommy John surgery and believed it would subside like the prior cases. However, that didn’t come to be true and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to end Buehler’s night early.
He underwent an MRI on Saturday that revealed a strained right flexor tendon that will require Buehler to refrain from throwing for six to eight weeks, according to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
A night after exiting a start early because of right elbow discomfort, Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler was diagnosed with a flexor tendon strain on Saturday and placed on the injured list after undergoing an MRI in Los Angeles.
According to manager Dave Roberts, Buehler will be shut down from throwing for six to eight weeks, then will have to rebuild arm strength and stamina, as if he was starting his throwing program all the way over from the start of spring training.
Buehler’s injury update isn’t necessarily a worst-case scenario as the timeline still allows for a return this season.
However, that may not come until September, which would leave Buehler with a shortened period to find a rhythm and stretch out to a full workload.
Buehler sensing frustration from Dodgers
Outside of a first career complete game, the 2022 season has been a bag of mixed results for Buehler. He’s had noticeable frustration after several starts and recently expressed a belief that some in the Dodgers clubhouse had grown disappointed.
“We’ve kind of talked forever about my delivery, and it’s kind of a high-maintenance delivery,” Buehler said at the end of May. “Obviously I’m not 6’6 and 250 pounds. I’m a smaller guy and I’ve got to generate somehow.
“There’s mechanical stuff, mental stuff, usage and kind of all these puzzle pieces. At the end of the day I just want to be better and help our team win games. I feel like I haven’t really been doing that to the level that I want to.
“I’ve had some success, mostly because our team is really good and kind of covered my ass. We’ll get better and keep working. I’m not a guy that really hangs onto stuff too long, but yeah, I’m frustrated.
“I know guys are frustrated in there at kind of what I’m producing, and that sucks.”
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