Oh boy, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in a bit of a pickle, aren’t they? Manager Dave Roberts spilled the beans on Saturday, and it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. “There’s still no hard start date,” he mentioned, talking about Walker Buehler’s return. It seems like they’ve got a plan, but it’s as clear as mud when he’ll actually hit the mound.
, “Once he passes all those markers, he’ll be ready to go. I just don’t know when that’s going to be.”
Walker Buehler, that two-time All-Star right-hander, hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since his Tommy John surgery last August. It’s his second time, too. Tough break. He did sneak in a couple of shutout innings at Triple-A last year, though.
Over six seasons, Buehler’s been pretty darn good, boasting a 3.02 ERA and striking out way more guys than he walks. Baseball Reference reckons he’s racked up 13.7 Wins Above Replacement. Not too shabby, especially considering he was fourth in the Cy Young Award race back in 2021.
Now, the Dodgers have been busy bees this offseason, snagging Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, and even Clayton Kershaw. But, plot twist, Kershaw’s benched for the first half. And then there’s Shohei Ohtani, who won’t be pitching in 2024 because of elbow surgery. It’s like a soap opera over there with all these health dramas.
Aside from the Ohtani, Kershaw, and Buehler saga, the Dodgers might also miss Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, and Nick Frasso due to various arm surgeries. It’s like they’re collecting surgeries instead of baseball cards.
In a bit of brighter news, the Dodgers are set to make history in Seoul, South Korea. They’re kicking off their season against the San Diego Padres on March 20-21. It’s the first time MLB games will be played in South Korea. Now, that’s something to look forward to, right?
