Walker Buehler Continuing Rehab Assignment

The Los Angeles Dodgers escaped an injury scare with Walker Buehler and he’s scheduled to continue with a rehab assignment next week.

Buehler started for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Friday night but threw just 27 pitches over two innings. He was forced to an early exit due to being hit in the right hand by a line-drive comebacker.

Buehler initially remained in the game to finish the second inning but was seen leaving LoanMart Field with his finger wrapped.

“It was his middle finger, or knuckle kind of,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday. “Came out of it fine. The plan is for him to pitch next Thursday. Don’t know where yet, but I think it’s with the OKC team.

“And we’ll go from there.”

Had Buehler not been removed early from his third rehab start, the plan was to have him stretch out to upwards of 90 pitches. That was going to then give way to another outing for either the Quakes or Oklahoma City, followed by likely getting activated to join the Dodgers.

But that progression and schedule now has been delayed.

“Looking at [Friday], the goal was to continue building that foundation of pitch count and get him up near 90 pitches. We didn’t come close to that, so it’s sort of a repeat again,” Roberts said.

When previously discussing Buehler’s performance in the rehab starts, Roberts was encouraged by the progress being made.

“I thought his last one was good,” he said. “I thought his last one was good. And so he’s trending in the right way. His recovery is good. He’s strong, ball’s coming out well.”

In three starts thus far, Buehler has thrown 10 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) while striking out eight and walking three.

When will Walker Buehler return?

Given that Buehler is likely to make at least two more rehab starts, that rules him out from joining the Dodgers rotation until some time in early May.

Buehler last pitched for the Dodgers on June 10, 2022, when he was removed from a start against the San Francisco Giants due to right elbow discomfort that ultimately led to a right flexor tendon repair and second career Tommy John surgery.