"They gotta fix this sh*t" - Walker Buehler recalls how Fat Joe’s Yankee Stadium performance interrupted 2x All-Star's World Series Game 3 prep

Newly signed Boston Red Sox pitcher Walker Buehler opened up on how his warmup was interrupted ahead of Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.

The 30-year-old won his second World Series ring earlier this year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, playing a crucial role in their postseason run. On The Just Baseball Show, Buehler revealed how his preparation ahead of the game was interrupted by Fat Joe's performance:

"The game is at 7:15. And they got Fat Joe going out there. They turned off the entire stadium lights, including the bullpen's, from 7:02 until 7:13. They did not turn the lights back on until the Yankees went on to the field.

"So there was like 8 or 10 minutes that I needed to throw about 12 more pitches, that the catcher could not see the ball. ... The Yankees take the field while I'm walking in, I walk up to the umpire and go, 'they gotta fix this sh*t for tomorrow,' and he was like, 'yeah I don't know why they did that.'"

Heading into the 2024 MLB playoffs, the Los Angeles DOdgers faced a shortage of pitchers and relied heavily on Walker Buehler as one of the rotation leaders.

After winning the first two games at home, the Dodgers travelled to New York for Game 3, where rapper Fat Joe was brought in to perform ahead of the game. While such performances are common during the World Series, it's unacceptable to interrupt a pitcher's preparation ahead of the game.

However, the Dodgers went on to win the game 4-2 and take a 3-0 lead in the series. Eventually, it was a happy ending for Walker Buehler and the Dodgers, as they wrapped up the series in five games.

The right-handed pitcher has since entered free agency and signed a one-year deal worth $21.05 miilion (plus incentives) with the Boston Red Sox. it has greatly bolstered the Boston rotation, which now looks promising for the upcoming season.

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Red Sox chief baseball officer reveals why a one-year deal for Walker Buehler made sense

Former MLB pitcher Craig Breslow, the chief baseball officer for the Boston Red Sox since 2022, has had a busy winter this year. The Boston front office have made several additions to their pitching, with Walker Buehler as their latest addition. Speaking about the one-year deal with Buehler, Breslow said:

“Given the depth, the chance to bring in someone like Walker, who’s got this tremendous upside, but obviously has struggled to stay on the field over the last couple of years. It gave us a chance to take a really good rotation and potentially catapult it into an elite level.”

There's no doubt about Buehler's ability from the mound, but his struggles with injuries have led the Red Sox to take cautious approach to signing him. Nevertheless, it's a great addition for Boston with a low risk factor.