Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler is scheduled to start in Game 3 of the NLDS against rivals San Diego Padres. However, ahead of his first postseason start this year, Buehler was reportedly robbed over the weekend.
According to ABC Eyewitness News, the Dodgers ace, along with his wife McKenzie Marcinek, was robbed of an expensive watch. A mob reportedly surrounded the two-time All-Star and his wife at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia. The watch was worth $100,000, per mynewsLA.com.
Someone allegedly unbuttoned Buehler's shirt sleeve and stole his watch. While earlier reports had claimed the incident took place over the weekend, ABC has since retracted the information about the day of the alleged robbery.
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Walker Buehler is preparing to start the Dodgers' third game of the division series on Tuesday after the Padres had a blowout 10-2 win in Game 2 to tie the series. He will be up against Michael King from the mound at Petco Park.
King is coming off a career-best postseason performance against the Braves in the first game of the Wild Card series, pitching seven scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts.
Walker Buehler focused on getting the job done despite postseason absence for two years
Although Walker Buehler has missed the last two postseasons due to Tommy John surgery, he is no stranger to October baseball. In fact, he was a reliable arm in the rotation for the NL West team during their World Series triumph in 2020.
While the pressure will be on the Dodgers ace in front of a hostile crowd in San Diego, Buehler is focused on doing the job for the team in crucial games.
“We play in these games every year. Every team that plays in the playoffs plays in a swing game or the big momentum game. And I just happen to be starting this one.
"If I’m Game 6, Game 7, Game 3, Game whatever, I’ve thrown in all these games. That’s not the stuff I get super wrapped up in. I want to try and go make a quality start and put our team in a position to win the game.”
Dodgers starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty struggled in the first two games of the NLDS, but Buehler is expected to use his big-game experience to his advantage on Tuesday.
