Walker Buehler’s return to the pitcher’s mound wasn’t as perfect as he hoped, but he’s glad to be back playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
In his first major league start in nearly two years on Monday night, Buehler pitched for four innings and struck out four batters in the Dodgers’ 6-3 win against the Miami Marlins.
“The initial excitement is over, and now I can focus on performing well and helping our team,” Buehler said. “I wish I could have done better and pitched five or six innings without giving up any runs, but I’m happy to be back.”
He gave up three runs and six hits during the game. Buehler threw 77 pitches, with 49 of them being strikes. Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had mentioned that Buehler’s pitch count would be around 80 to 85.
Buehler didn’t get the win, but he left the game with the Dodgers leading by three runs, thanks to four home runs, including Shohei Ohtani’s fourth homer in three games.
“I could tell that Walker was feeling the energy from the fans, maybe a bit too much,” Roberts said. “In the first inning, he was throwing pitches at 98 mph, which was unexpected. I think a lot of that was due to adrenaline. His last two innings were his best, with better control, pitches, and efficiency.”
Buehler hadn’t started a major league game since June 10, 2022, when he played against San Francisco. After his second Tommy John surgery on August 23 of that year, the 29-year-old, who’s been selected to the All-Star Game twice, faced a long road to recovery.
His initial elbow surgery was back in 2015, right after he got drafted in the first round by the Dodgers.
In the first inning, Buehler struggled a bit, giving up four hits, including two RBI singles by Bryan De La Cruz and Jesús Sánchez, and Nick Gordon’s solo homer in the second. However, he only allowed one hit during his second round of pitches.
“The first two innings didn’t go as planned, but most of those were on two-strike or 0-0 pitches, which are the final things you can sharpen up,” Buehler commented.
The surprising part was Buehler’s velocity. He threw 13 pitches at 96 mph or faster, including a 97.6 mph fastball that leadoff hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr. fouled off in the first inning.
Before the game, Roberts had tried to manage expectations about Buehler’s velocity, focusing more on his command of pitches.
“I didn’t expect to see 98 or 97 still, but I think it’s the adrenaline of being back,” Buehler said. “I’ve been a little worried about the velocity, so you kind of try to ride it and see what’s there. I think next time, I’ll probably feel the same and be able to control it a little more, knowing it’s still there.”
