Dodgers News: Injured Ace Walker Buehler Explains Decision to Postpone Return to 2024

Sticking to his long-term goals.

The Dodgers' lackluster starting pitching ultimately embarrassingly ended their season after three awful outings from LA's makeshift rotation. 

Walker Buehler's presence could have helped the battered staff but the righty opted against a speedy return due to a snag in his recovery process from injury. 

Buehler described how his desired results weren't achieved so late into the 2023 season and why he opted for a return next spring over a rushed playoff appearance. 

“When you start a game or pitch in general, it’s a couple of days that you’re going to be a little bit sore or whatnot and that just kind of lingered in terms of where three or four days after and I didn’t want to throw a bullpen and then you just kind of snowball into it. You look at the timing of everything and I just end up being, if we were two days delayed then it didn’t really make sense to be honest to keep going, and I kind of — not the way I want to or obviously our team, our fans or whatever gotten to where I need to get to. Yeah, kind of sucks but also you kind of pack it in and get ready to try and be who I think I can be next year.”

via Walker Buehler, Just Baseball Show

Buehler surprised many after he returned to face minor league competition in September just 15 months after the second Tommy John operation of his career. 

The 30-year-old didn't like what he saw in the recovery process despite a dominant two-inning showing last month and made the tough call to shut his season down. 

LA sorely missed their playoff riser this postseason thanks to three starters who all failed to reach three full innings, but Chavez Ravine will see their superstar arm soon enough.