“No sugarcoating, it’s a tough blow”- Walker Buehler undergoes II Tommy John Surgery
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Walker Buehler
The worst happened to right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler, who underwent a second Tommy John procedure and a flexor tendon repair on Tuesday. The Dodgers were unsure whether Dr. Neal ElAttrache, the surgeon who did a Tommy John on Buehler soon after he was selected in 2015, would have to repair the UCL once more due to ambiguous MRI imagery. It would be the “worst-case scenario,” according to Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations for the Dodgers.
The good news for Walker Buehler and the Dodgers is that Tuesday’s surgery was effective and that much of the ligament’s soft tissue was in good condition. The recuperation period won’t be lengthened by the flexor tendon surgery either. “From the sounds of it, it went as well as could possibly be expected,” said Freidman. “In talking to Dr. ElAttrache earlier, he felt really confident about it. He felt like he went in and got it back in good order. And so now, we just go into the progression part of it and hopefully get [Buehler] back as soon as possible. But there’s no sugarcoating it, it’s a tough blow.”
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Difficult to predict how long will it take Walker Buehler to enter the bullpen
How long it might take Walker Buehler to return to Major League action is tough to say. The healing process following a first Tommy John surgery usually takes about a year, but it frequently takes longer with a second procedure. With aspects like surgical skill and the patient’s assiduousness in the rehabilitation process at play, there is also much more variation.
Walker Buehler might be able to return toward the end of the upcoming season, according to Friedman, who added that the team will find out more as the pitcher’s recovery progressed. “We know that Walker’s going to do everything in his power to get back and be really smart about it,” said Friedman. “We watched him attack the process in 2015. So we feel good about it, for whenever he’s able, that he’ll step right back in and contribute.”
Walker Buehler, a two-time All-Star with a career of 2.90 ERA entering this season, had underwhelming results in 2022 compared to the rest of his Major League career. Walker Buehler showed flashes of brilliance, like the 10-strikeout shutout he threw against the D-backs on April 25, but overall he regressed, finishing with a 4.02 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 103 OPS+ in 12 starts before being removed from the rotation.
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Leslie Savio Baptist
(151 Articles Published)