Los Angeles Dodgers' Ace Seems to Be Significantly Delayed in Comeback From Tommy John Surgery
The comeback train for Los Angeles Dodgers' ace Walker Buehler appears to have hit another snag as manager Dave Roberts says the righty likely won't pitch in Cactus League games as he comes back from Tommy John surgery.
Per Fabian Ardaya of 'The Athletic:'
Dave Roberts didn’t have a firm timeline for when Walker Buehler will return to a big league mound after his delayed start on the IL, but one indicator: it’s “unlikely” that Buehler will pitch in any Cactus League games, Roberts said.
This is all turning confusing. It is understandable that the team could want to slow play his return so that he can be fully available for a playoff run, but if Buehler was truly almost back in time for the playoffs last year, he should seemingly be ready to go at the outset of this season.
When healthy, Buehler is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, so the Dodgers will hope that he can regain his form in 2024. The 29-year-old is a two-time All-Star who helped LA win the 2020 World Series.
The righty is 46-16 lifetime with a 3.02 ERA. He won 16 games back in the 2021 season, the most recent season in which he was fully healthy.
When he eventually does join the rotation, he'll join the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton and Bobby Miller. Clayton Kershaw is out until at least July after undergoing shoulder surgery.
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