Should Dodgers Walker Buehler Change His Pitching Style After Multiple Injuries?
Walker Buehler is still Walker Buehler.
The 29-year-old pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers is set to return from his second Tommy John surgery this season and his mindset hasn't changed.
He wants the ball.
Historically, a pitcher coming off his second elbow reconstruction surgery faces tougher odds returning to his previous level compared to pitchers coming off their first.
To combat those poor odds, Buehler reshaped his frame. He's weighing in around 205 compared to his old pitching weight of 185.
He doesn't plan on changing anything else. Not even his delivery.
“You get to the big leagues and have any sort of success, I think it’s hard to change anything. You want to do what got you there or whatever. You get hurt twice the way I have, sometimes you gotta kind of figure something else out. I think the athleticism in my delivery, or whatever you want to call it, has gotten me to where I am. So put on weight and try to keep that, I think, makes a lot of sense.”
Despite the injury and long recovery, Buehler has not lost confidence. He's also in a contract year but he isn't thinking about free agency.
“The rest of your career, for me at least, depends on me being healthy and productive this year. So that’s obviously my focus.”
