The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a fantastic season to date and seem to be pointed towards October.
Unfortunately, they’ll have to do it without Walker Buehler, who they have been missing since he went down with an injury in June.
A week ago, it was learned that Buehler would be forced to miss the remainder of the 2022 season as a result of undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Yesterday, Buehler officially underwent the surgery.
The timetable looks pretty grim for the Dodgers ace.
In addition to being out for the rest of this season, chances are good that he will be out for all of 2023 as well.
Los Angeles Dodgers star right-hander Walker Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery today, he said on Instagram.
He’ll miss the rest of the year and almost certainly all of the 2023 season, too. This will be his second Tommy John surgery, and recovery typically takes longer.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 23, 2022
Buehler Out Until 2024
This is a big blow for the Dodgers, even amidst their dominance.
Their rotation is going to be lacking that true ace for the remainder of this season.
One can probably expect that they will be active this offseason as they look to address their starting pitching shortage.
Clayton Kershaw is also still on the injured list, and his contract is up at the end of this season.
Right now, their top three are Julio Urias, Tyler Anderson, and Tony Gonsolin.
They did just get a boost with the return of Dustin May, but without Buehler, their rotation takes on a completely different look, and not for the better.
It’s looking like it’s going to be until 2024 that we see Buehler pitch again, and this is not good news for the Dodgers.
Buehler had gone 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts this year before landing on the injured list.
Tommy John recovery is always a long and arduous process, and it typically takes longer than other injuries to recover from.
It’s also his second bout with the surgery.