Dodgers' Former All-Star Could Possibly Make Last Rehab Start Tuesday

The return is near.

Oct 23, 2021; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler (21) / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

We're creeping toward finally seeing Walker Buehler back on a major league mound, folks. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts appeared on "Loud Outs" on MLB Network Radio and said Buehler could make his final rehab start Tuesday for the Oklahoma City baseball club. 

Walker Buehler will need at least one more rehab start before returning to the #Dodgers. pic.twitter.com/oBV4LY2kCV

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) April 26, 2024

Buehler has made five rehab starts, and while his last one was pretty, he pitched at a high altitude in Albuquerque. The results were secondary, though he did go four-plus innings. He was charged with five runs, three of them earned and struck out five batters. 

In his five rehab starts, Buehler has been underwhelming, recording a 4.86 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, and a 16:9 K: BB over 16.2 innings. 

The 29-year-old wants to be on the mound again, but the Dodgers don't feel like he's quite ready. Nonetheless, if they change their mind, we could see the righty-handed ace return when LA returns home from their current nine-game road trip. 

Buehler is currently on the 15-day IL as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. The two-time All-Star underwent surgery in June 2022, which caused him to miss the rest of that season and the entire 2023 campaign. 

It has been a long road for the kid from Lexington, Kentucky; however, the time is near, and it's only a matter of time before we see LA's former first-round pick don the Dodger Blue again. 

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