Walker Buehler has been pitching better and better in recent weeks, rounding into the form the Boston Red Sox hoped he'd be able to recapture when they signed the World Series champion to a one-year contract back in December. But talent was never the issue with the former Los Angeles Dodgers righty; staying healthy was, and now it appears the injury bug might be rearing its head again.
According to a report from MassLive's Christopher Smith, Buehler has experienced some lingering shoulder discomfort after his most recent start last weekend against the Cleveland Guardians, and it's enough of a concern that he's now headed back to Boston to undergo further testing.
Buehler went six innings in Cleveland on Saturday, giving up three runs on seven hits in a Red Sox win. It was his third quality start in his last four outings, all four of which have featured three or fewer earned runs allowed. The Red Sox have yet to confirm the news or offer an update on Buehler's status.
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Walker Buehler to undergo further testing after shoulder discomfort
Of course, you don't need to tell Red Sox fans that injuries are nothing new for Buehler. Elbow concerns caused him to fall toward the end of the first round of the 2015 MLB Draft, where the Dodgers scooped him up and signed him to an underslot bonus. Sure enough, just days later word broke that he'd need to undergo Tommy John sugery.
That procedure delayed his pro debut until August of 2016, but it didn't stop Buehler from hopping on the fast track to the Majors. He broke in with L.A. in 2017, and while he took some initial lumps, he took off the next year, establishing himself as one of the best young starters in baseball. But just when it looked like he was ticketed for stardom, disaster struck again: a second Tommy John surgery this one in the middle of the 2022 season.
He made his return to the mound last summer, and things were initially rough. Slowly but surely, though, he began to capture his old form, culminating in a triumph postseason run to help L.A. win the Fall Classic. That was also enough to convince Boston to take the gamble on him with a one-year, $21.05 million deal, slotting him behind Garrett Crochet in the team's rotation.
While Buehler's history of elbow trouble was well-documented, shoulder discomfort is a new one. It's entirely possible that this is just some early-season fatigue; plenty of starters sometimes have a little more trouble bouncing back between starts but pitch through it. Given Buehler's track record, though, you can understand why the Red Sox would want to exercise as much caution as possible.