Dodgers Injury Update: LA October Ace Makes First Positive Step in Recovery

Walker Buehler took the first of many steps in his quest to rejoin the Dodgers rotation this season.

The Dodgers are in a spot where they should be getting a few impact players back from injury. Starter Andrew Heaney is set to make his first start in over a month on Wednesday, and Dustin May is currently out on minor league rehab assignment. Once Walker Buehler returns, the starting staff should feel whole again.

Buehler has been out since early June with a forearm strain. He pitched four innings against the Giants before needing to come out of the game due to the injury. He was subsequently shut down with a forearm issue.

However, Buehler took an important step forward this week in his road to recovery. The Dodgers ace played catch on the field prior to LA's game against the Nationals on Monday.

He still has a long, long ways to go before he's activated off of the 60-day IL, but the team wants to do everything possible to have him stretched out when he is cleared to return (quotes via The LA Times).

“The last thing I want to do is go two innings on 40 pitches and have to come out of games. I don’t want to be a starting pitcher unless I can be a starting pitcher. So we’ll see how that goes. But I think there’s some window, there’s an opportunity for that if things go really well.”

The best case scenario is Buehler returns to the rotation in September, gets a a couple of starts under his belt, and is ready to carry his normal workload in the postseason.

Buehler did note that he's ready for any role when he returns, so don't rule out the Dodgers Opening Day starter coming out of the bullpen in October.