"We’re really confident he’s going to be in a really good spot": Dodgers' Andrew Friedman certain about 'vintage Walker Buehler' sighting in 2024
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler missed out on 2023 action to recover from Tommy John surgery and a flexor tendon repair.
That affected the club last season, as the Dodgers were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLDS round of the postseason. However, his recent sighting on the mound has left Andre Friedman, Dodgers president of baseball operations, in delight.
Friedman provided an update on Buehler's health on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
“Walker is the ultimate competitor, and so much of him coming back last October was kind of driven by him, even with it not being the safest thing in the world from his standpoint," Friedman said.
"But it just speaks to who he is, and his willingness to help us win. There were some outings last September on this rehab path where he looked like vintage Walker Buehler."
"And just for us, trying to look out for his next 10, 12 years, it wasn’t smart to keep dialing up the intensity, and to add that. He’s had a pretty normal offseason. We’re really confident he’s going to be in a really good spot."
Walker Buehler was on a meteoric rise before feeling discomfort in his arm against the San Francisco Giants in Jul. 2022. That required him to undergo surgery, but he's primed to return in the ongoing season.
Walker Buehler's comeback to the mound won't be hasty
The two-time All-Star pitcher is a key asset for the Dodgers, especially in October baseball.
With Friedman coming off Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers coaching staff and management will take a cautious approach to bringing him back to the mound. Hence, he's bound to miss the initial games to ensure that he hits his stride before the postseason.
Discussing Walker Buehler, Friedman mentioned that there will be a clear plan in terms of workload and fatigue in the upcoming season.
"Now it’s just about, what’s the prudent thing to do in terms of workload? The question is, when do we do it, how do we ease him in – whether it’s easing him in on the front end, whether it’s building up some workload and getting some fatigue on him and protecting him there in the middle, we don’t know yet. Still really confident that he’s going to be a big part of what we do this year,” Friedman added.
Buehler pitched 226 innings between the regular season and postseason in 2021, leading the NL in starts with 33. He was 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA.