Los Angeles Dodgers ace Walker Buehler has historically had a slow ramp-up period during Spring Training, but now he is relying on learning experiences from the past to help him stay on track for Opening Day of the 2022 season.
Buehler previously found an offseason routine that included throwing more often helped him not only prepare for the season but be in better position come the start of Spring Training.
This past offseason, Buehler worked out at Push Performance, a baseball training and development facility in Arizona, during the MLB lockout while players were not allowed to use team facilities.
As players were rushed back into action once the lockout ended, Buehler said he has also taken knowledge from his experience during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-shortened season to prepare for 2022, via SportsNetLA:
“We didn’t really know when the season was going to start, so I mentioned to somebody else that the COVID year kind of helps in terms of staying ready but not too ready. Felt like I didn’t come in ready enough in that one and definitely more built up now than I was then. So that was kind of a nice little trainer course for this.”
Just like in 2020, this past offseason players had no idea when Spring Training would resume, which may have affected many routines and thrown them off schedule.
Teams are expected to be cautious with their pitchers to avoid injuring them early, and the league has agreed to expanded rosters to help offset some of the concerns that come with pushing pitchers too much.
For Buehler, he is already built up more than most pitchers and figures to be fully built up for Opening Day, unlike many other pitchers across the league:
“I took a little bit longer off (during the offseason) to hopefully give my arm a little breather, but feeling pretty good. The velocity was close to where I want it.”
Buehler made his 2022 Cactus League debut on Tuesday and breezed through three scoreless innings before the Cincinnati Reds got on the board with a leadoff home run from Jonathan India in the fourth.
Buehler finished his day by throwing 53 pitches over 4.2 innings.
David Price wants to earn spot in Dodgers rotation
The Dodgers already have Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Julio Urias locked into their top three rotation spots, but still have an open completion for the fourth and fifth spots on the staff.
Recently signed southpaws Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney are among those in competition for the Opening Day, along with Tony Gonsolin, and David Price, who has become somewhat of an afterthought in the competition.
The left-hander began last season in the bullpen, but eventually moved back to the starting rotation as injuries piled up. In 39 games (11 starts), he went 5-2 with a 4.03 ERA, 4.23 FIP and 1.43 WHIP across 73.2 innings pitched.
Price embraced the hybrid role as he was willing to help the Dodgers in any capacity. Now as he enters the final year of his contract, the 36-year-old has higher expectations for himself and hopes to earn a permanent spot in the starting rotation.
The likely scenario is the Dodgers will allow all of them to make starts with an opener and follower strategy that sees them throwing three or four innings each while they build up their workload.
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