“I had surgery on Tommy John, I think [the level of concern] “It’s a bit high,” Buehler told MLB.com on Friday. This is what happens in this game. Many guys in this club have been dealing with things with their elbows. It’s part of this game. I have full faith in our medical staff and everything else. “But before we dive into it, we need to know what we are dealing with.”
Buehler, 27, underwent surgery on Tommy John shortly after his check in 2015. He has had no major elbow problems since, with various MLB injury lists due to a rib fracture and blisters. Buehler allowed three series in four appearances on Friday and has a season well below his standard: 4.02 ERA with 1.29 WHIP and 8.0 K / 9 are all the worst in his career.
Walker Buehler
SP •
EPA4.02
ΜΤΥΓΙΟΣ 1,29
IP65
BB17
K58
The inconvenience came after a ball broke in the third inning, Buehler said. He completed the inning and then threw the fourth inning, but his elbow did not feel better, as a result of which he was removed from the game. Buehler admitted he had a slight elbow discomfort all these years, but it was always manageable. This injury, however, appears to be worse than previous elbow pain.
As noted by Baseball Prospectus earlier this week, Buehler’s fastball was not good enough this season. His fastball has been a truly elite stadium throughout his career, although the rotation and movement on the court are not the same this year, and as a result, opponents are punishing Buehler’s heater. Here are the numbers from Buehler’s four-seater fastball in recent seasons:
2019
96.5 mph
2,456 rpm
.205
.368
24.5%
2020
96.8 mph
2,546 rpm
.102
.119
26.1%
2021
95.3 mph
2,472 rpm
.202
.366
20.3%
2022
95.2 mph
2,267 rpm
.368
.618
13.2%
MLB averages
93.9 mph
2,260 rpm
.253
.429
21.5%
Buehler’s fastball rotation slowed after foreign matter was suppressed last year (2,611 rpm before and 2,349 rpm after) and the pitch has not been as efficient since. It is not clear if this new elbow issue is related. In conclusion, Buehler and his fastball were not right all season and now he has a significant injury
“Some annoyances you may encounter where she tonight clearly felt others could be harmful,” Dodgers director Dave Roberts told MLB.com. “I think this is something more – you should definitely pre-select a player with Walker intelligence and know his body.”
Los Angeles hosted Clayton Kershaw again in rotation on Saturday and allowed two innings in four innings in a 3-2 loss to the Giants. He lost about a month with a hip problem. The Dodgers should also get Andrew Heaney back soon. Heaney made two excellent starts to start the season before falling on a shoulder problem. Losing Buehler for such a long time is undoubtedly a blow, but the return of Kershaw and Heaney should help.
