The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered a significant loss last season when it was determined a right forearm injury for Walker Buehler required a flexor tendon repair in addition to his second Tommy John surgery.
Prior to that point, Buehler additionally had bone spurs removed from his right elbow as it didn’t impact his initial timeline for a return from a strained right flexor tendon. “It was something that I’ve dealt with for a long time,” Buehler said at the time.
“It’s something I was going to do in the offseason, probably we’ve discussed for the last three years to get those taken out, but ended every year healthy and kind of didn’t have the necessity to do it.”
Buehler having surgery to remove bone spurs wound up being relatively insignificant in the grand scheme. The timetable for his return from Tommy John was not firmly set, but pitching in 2023 doesn’t appear to be likely.
Nearly two months after throwing for the first time since Tommy John surgery, Buehler shared clips of more throwing from Camelback Ranch.
Buehler was in the midst of an uncharacteristic 2022 season before sustaining a right forearm strain that led to his surgery. He finished the year 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 12 starts.
Is Walker Buehler returning in 2023?
If Buehler is going to return during the 2023 season, it likely would not come until August or September. The recovery for Tommy John surgery historically is at least 12 months, and longer when it is a pitcher’s second operation.
Buehler and the Dodgers have not officially ruled out a return this year when asked about the possibility.
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