The Los Angeles Dodgers were dealt two tough injury blows last weekend. On the same day starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was diagnosed with a strained rotator cuff and placed on the injured list, former MVP shortstop Mookie Betts fractured his hand when he was hit by a pitch.
Both players are expected back this season, but losing both Yamamoto and Betts amounted to back-to-back blows for a team that has the second-best record in the National League (46-29) entering Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
Read more: Mookie Betts’ Injury Deals Serious Blow to Dodgers; What’s Next for the MVP Runner-up?
Now, another former Dodgers All-Star is headed to the injured list as well.
Walker Buehler, who has made eight starts this season since completing his two-year-long rehabilitation process from elbow surgery, went back on the 15-day IL with right hip inflammation.
#Dodgers Walker Buehler will be placed on the IL. He took a liner off of his hip yesterday, so Dave Roberts said this time will allow his body to heal and work through a few things regarding his pitching.
— Kirsten Watson (@kirsten_watson) June 19, 2024
Among the immediate consequences: right-hander Bobby Miller will take Buehler’s place on the active roster and start Wednesday against the Rockies, ending his own two-month journey back from a shoulder injury. Friday, Roberts said the Dodgers will insert another starter into their rotation to pitch against the Angels. Landon Knack, 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA in four spot starts this season, is the most likely candidate for that assignment.
The long-term outlook for Buehler isn’t crystal clear.
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The 29-year-old right-hander missed all of 2023 as he rehabilitated from the second Tommy John surgery of his career; Buehler also had a flexor tendon repair in June 2022. Although he briefly attempted a comeback at the end of last season, his recovery time after starts inhibited the Dodgers from adding him to their postseason roster.
Even after spring training this year, the Dodgers determined Buehler needed more time on the rehab trail before rejoining a rotation led by Tyler Glasnow, Yamamoto, James Paxton, and Gavin Stone. Buehler’s minor league rehab starts were a mixed bag. Overall he posted a 4.15 ERA in six rehab starts across the Low-A and Triple-A levels.
From the time Buehler debuted with the Dodgers on May 6, it was more of the same. Tuesday, he allowed seven runs in four innings to the Rockies at hitter-friendly Coors Field. Speaking to reporters after the game, Buehler conceded more time away from the major-league spotlight might be in order.
“We’ve thought about taking a blow. Taking a month off, taking a week off,” Buehler said. “Trying to figure out how to get me reset. And maybe that’s coming, maybe not. I don’t know. We’ll see. It sucks to feel invaluable or like you’re hampering your team.”
The line drive that struck Buehler’s hip Tuesday perhaps provided a convenient excuse to rest a pitcher who has yet to return to his pre-surgery form.
From 2018-21, Buehler was one of the best pitchers in baseball. He went 39-13 with a 2.82 ERA, struck out more than a batter per inning, made two National League All-Star teams, and helped the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series.
For now, he’ll look to regain that form without the pressure of winning games for a team that expects to reach its first World Series in four years.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.