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Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler is preparing for the upcoming season after missing the 2023 season. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery in August 2022.
Buehler has not set a timetable for his return but he said he feels good about his progress. Manager Dave Roberts said the hard-throwing righty still has some boxes to check before a return can be put into motion.
Despite missing last year's season, Buehler is confident he can return as a frontline starter. He does not doubt his abilities and wants to get healthy and help his squad. (Quotes h/t MLB.com)
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"I don't really think I have much doubt about my abilities if I'm healthy to go and get people out," Buehler said. "I think getting out there is the biggest thing, and I was close to doing it last year, and it just didn't work out"
“I had a good offseason and put in a lot of work, and my arm feels good."
Buehler has been engaged in a throwing program to get ready for the upcoming season. He threw his first official bullpen on Friday, and his fastball sat 92-94 mph. That is a slight decrease in velocity, but that is expected as he continues to return to form.
Walker Buehler knows there is still work to be done until he returns to the Dodgers' rotation
Recovering from Tommy John surgery is not a race. It takes time for pitchers to return to where they were before the surgery, which often plays a part in players trying to rush back.
That is not the case with Walker Buehler. As somebody who has now had two of these surgeries, he understands what it takes to get back to the pitcher that he knows that he can be.
Buehler is taking this process day by day. He said:
"I'm just trying to take today toward whenever I'm going to actually pitch and figure out the best way to build up"
The Dodgers are more than capable of handling the workload until he returns. Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Bobby Miller should be able to headline this rotation with little problems.
