Dodgers News: Latest Timetable Revealed For Injured All-Star's Return

Is Buetane on his way back?

Walker Buehler / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Though the Dodgers have won 9 of their first 13 games, the rotation still remains incomplete without the presence of Walker Buehler.

The one-time ace of the Dodgers' staff, Buehler was sidelined with a serious elbow in June 2022. As he makes his way back into the fold, manager Dave Roberts offered an update as to when we might see Buehler take the bump at Dodger Stadium.

According to Roberts, Buehler will get one more rehab start before further assessing his eventual status with the big club. This generally lines up with the original timetable the club had for the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher out of Kentucky.

Dave Roberts said he got a good report on Walker Buehler’s rehab outing yesterday

Buehler will get at least one more rehab outing (either with OKC or Rancho) then they’ll see where he’s at https://t.co/cMhlHHabjt

— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) April 7, 2024

We were able to get a bit of a sneak peek at Buehler's latest start. Pitching for the Dodgers' Triple-A team in Oklahoma City, Buehler faced 16 batters. Fourteen failed to reach base. Buehler notched six strikeouts. Perhaps most encouraging, he didn't walk a single batter.

Some will point to Buehler's velocity. Prior to the injury, he would sit between 96-98 miles per hour on his fastball, sometimes touching 99 mph.

Walker Buehler was 93-95, had a big breaking Knuckle Curve & a cutter at 90 working in his rehab outing Saturday. Retired the first 9 hitters he faced, 5 Ks in that span. He retired 14 of the 16 hitters he faced, 0 Runs 6 Ks, 0 walks, just 2 hits given up. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/RyzBe9d1Nf

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) April 8, 2024

Buehler's fastball touched 96 mph, but that was only on one of his 65 pitches. This shouldn't be a sign for concern. On the contrary, considering he's still ramping up and getting back into the flow of things, the demonstrated velocity is quite good.

“I’m trying to re-establish what normal is," he said in an interview with Just Baseball. "For right now, consistent is good enough for me.”

Surely, the developmental staff isn't pushing Buehler to overexhaust himself by throwing as hard as he can. Focusing on a clean delivery, while maintaining command and gradually adding power, is Buehler's priority. As he continues to rebuild the arm strength he once had, it's easy to imagine Buehler getting back to where he once was from a velocity standpoint.

In the process, Buehler's eventual arrival will make LA's pitching staff that much more dynamic.