The Dodgers have placed starter Walker Buehler on the 10-day injured list with a blister and activated reliever Joe Kelly, Ken Gurnick of MLB.com tweets.
This is the second blister-related IL placement in recent weeks for Buehler, whom they first placed on the shelf Aug. 27. The right-hander made a quick return with five shutout innings in a win over the Diamondbacks on Sept. 2, but Buehler gave up five runs (two earned) to the D-backs in 2 2/3 frames on Tuesday. The Dodgers still managed to win that game, though, and at 32-12, they look like shoo-ins to capture the National League’s top seed as the playoffs approach.
Considering where the Dodgers are in the standings, it makes sense for the team to be cautious with Buehler – a key part of a rotation that has been among the league’s best in 2020. While Buehler hasn’t revisited his 2018-19 form, he, Clayton Kershaw, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Julio Urias have still made up a formidable group.
As for Kelly, he’s back after going to the IL on Aug. 10 with right shoulder inflammation. Kelly won’t be available to pitch immediately, though, as he’ll first have to serve a five-game suspension stemming from a dustup with the Astros on July 28.
“…only I didn’t say fudge.”
Wood to the rotation I assume.
The way the rest of schedule is set up Wood might have to make one start or they might just go with a bullpen game next week. Starting Wood is almost no different than a bullpen game anyway.
The real news here is the Dodgers will probably have to rethink the playoff rotation. It was questionable whether Buehler belonged in it anyway. Now he gets maybe one more start before the end of the season. Very little chance he will be ready for the postseason even if it goes well.
It’s hard to imagine Buehler (unless injured) not starting in the playoffs.
Why, because his name is Walker Buehler? I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he hasn’t been very good this season even when he’s been able to pitch, which hasn’t been often. It’s hard to imagine the Dodgers winning a three-game series if Buehler starts one of them. I believe the Dodgers are smart enough to pitch him because he can pitch, and not for any other reason.
No because Roberts said today if it was a playoff game he would pitch
Just like Kershaw, yea I trust Buehler over a rookie to start a playoff game. Experience does matter in October. I’m very open to having one of Gonsolin/May ready to piggyback, but heck yeah I’d pitch Walker over a rookie in October
Actually, yes — cause his name is Walker Buehler. With that, you know you’re getting one of the livest arms, nastiest pitch repertoires, and cold blooded competitive natures in the world. Wake up, sweetie… Seeing you talking down to @commonsenseslapsyou, while being so incredibly wrong, was comical. If it were up to you, you would run Alex Wood out there with a healthy Walker Buehler, a franchise cornerstone, riding the bench? The playoffs ain’t Camelback Ranch in March. It’s when you run out your best arms and lineup every night and count on them to show out when the lights are the brightest… Buehler’s been there already. He’s dominated. And he’s integral to a Dodgers World Series run.
He will be ready by the postseason, one would think. But I miss the deeper-than-usual rotation options because Buehler would be a fantastic option out of the bullpen. And cripes, May doesn’t look right hobbling to the dugout after taking that liner off the foot. Victor Gonzalez might be a key to the Dodgers’ World Series chances. Not surer how I feel about that.
Now…uh…about this Mookie playing second base stuff. Just no. Put him back in right field where he belongs.
Yeah, Betts at 2B made no sense, especially when it was a switch with someone who regularly plays 2B. Maybe Betts gets to that ball which Hernandez could not, that resulted in a key hit for the Dbacks.
I understand giving a guy experience at a different position to increase roster flexibility, but I do not agree with it when it involves a player who is one of the best at his natural position. Quite frankly, the Dodgers lead in the NL West is not as secure as many articles lead people to believe.
Keep in mind that Mookie was a 2nd baseman for the Red Sox in the minors. They moved him to the OF because of Pedroia. He does have a ton of experience there but I do agree that you don’t take a gold glove RF out of his natural position unless they literally have no other options.
Betts suggested he get some time at 2B before the end of the season with the idea it would provide Doc with some added lineup flexibility in the postseason. So good idea or not that’s where it came from.
You’re right that the Dodgers lead in division is far from secure, but winning the division this year doesn’t mean a whole lot. Division winners are still exposed to the 3-game playoff, which are going to be little better than coin flips.
Nope. Don’t care whether winning the division means a lot or not – win it. Period.
Meh. WAY more likely Buehler doesn’t throw a ball for 3 weeks and then starts in the playoffs then he’s not starting in Oct
Mr. 163 as a rookie isn’t sitting out a 3 game series unless he can’t throw. Cmon
Starting a pitcher who missed the last three weeks of the season in the playoffs is a great way to lose in the playoffs. One tune-up game is too few. None is way too few. The Dodgers have to at least be ready for him not being ready. I’m sure they’re thinking about their options even if the fans don’t want to.
They said he’s going to throw controlled some games to stay prepped while making sure the blister isn’t worse. So long as he’s healthy for October, there’s no doubt LA prefers him to start G1 or 2 over a rookie..
A 3.86 ERA and a 9.92 K/9 and a 2.76 BB/9 isn’t good? Other than his HR rate being a tick high he has been very good. He also has given up more than 3 runs in a start only once this year. So what are you even talking about?
This sounds like when Dodgers fans starting saying Kershaw isn’t good anymore because he went form the best pitcher in baseball to like the 11th best pitcher in baseball.
Yup you nailed it. Spoiled fans
Check out the FIP of 4.77, mostly on account of a doubling of his HR surrender rate. His BB rate is also way up because his command has been erratic, which you can also see by watching him pitch. Maybe both on on account of the blister, or some issues with mechanics, or his late start. We don’t know why it’s happening only that it is. So that’s what I am even talking about.
Some day Buehler will probably be the ace of the Dodger’s staff, but that day is not right now. He’d be a total spin of the Wheel of Fortune in the postseason, and that’s best case scenario. Will they have any better options? Probably not, but that isn’t the point at all, is it?
I never said Kershaw wasn’t good anymore, so that comment makes no sense.
Fans who can read and see. Fans who are not wearing blue-tinted glasses.
The Kershaw comment made sense to me… it was pretty easy to understand what he was saying.
It was easy to understand that it had nothing to do with my point. In fact nobody has responded to my actual point.
You do know that these world class athletes don’t make their start, sit around for four days, and then go back out there, right? Buehler in particular; the kid takes great care of his body. Without throwing another pitch this season, come the playoffs, Buehler makes every start possible without Roberts/Prior ever questioning throwing another guy… Writing what I just wrote has nothing to do with “Blue Shaded Glasses”, it’s simply knowing the sport; trust your studs… And you must be wearing two patches over your eyes, acting like an in his prime, 3.85 ERA, 100 mph heater, & 12 to 6 curve suddenly turned into Bartolo Colon.
One of Doc Roberts biggest flaws in the playoffs has been overthinking his pitching matchups. You’re doing the exact same now.
You can’t respond to my point with generic jock talk no matter how much you try. The issue will still be the same. Even great players have physical issues. Even great players can be off their game. I could post links to stories expressing the same concerns with the Dodgers’ postseason rotation as I have, and what the possible solutions might be, but I know from experience how often those links are clicked. Exactly never.
As for your comment about Roberts, that’s way off base too. He manages by the front office playbook. If he didn’t, do you think he would be managing the Dodgers? The answer is so obvious it shouldn’t even have to be asked. So the “overthinking” if you want to call it that is not coming from the dugout, it is organizational. The point being, the Dodgers are definitely in the mode of “overthinking” the postseason rotation. As well they should be. The options are not nearly as obvious (or appealing) as you seem to believe, and the failure to make a deal for Clevinger or Lynn could well come back to bite them in October.
Does a team play a man down during a suspension?
Yea. LA will be a guy short for 5 days.
It’s meant to punish player+ team. Just less important this year with extended rosters
May’s injury tonight might be a problem. If you didn’t see it, he was hit in the left foot by a line drive on the second pitch of the first inning. He finished the inning, limped back to the dugout, came back for the second but couldn’t continue. With Kelly suspended, they will have to recall a pitcher. They could use David Price, but that’s obviously not happening. Wood is on in the third, doesn’t look good. Thankfully there will be a rare Friday off.
I agree there. It seemed like May wanted to stay in, so hopefully they were overly cautious With May. Worth losing one game vs AZ to ensure he doesn’t do damage to his arm trying to compensate for a sore foot
Prepare for dust off.
Time to bring up gray dude looked good in pre season.
WAITING MODS.
Shoo ins for the top NL seed? Better check over your shoulder…
A Padres/Dodgers NLCS would be amazing! Not sure if it can work out that way (they might have to meet in the NLDS) but I really hope the cards fall where these two teams meet up for a trip to the World Series. I’m on the east coast but I’d stay up to watch that battle for sure!
This will be expected given how scrawny he is
Scrawny? The kid’s 6’2” 190 lbs and prob sitting around 7% body fat. Shredded… Is that you writing this LeBron?
I remember an article during the off-season with a poll of which young pitcher would you take Buehler vs Bieber and over 80% selected Buehler. Wonder how that poll would look today if it was posted.
The Dodgers really need to figure out how to get Bellinger & Muncy going at the plate. They are going to need both of their bats in the playoffs if they hope to win it all. Muncy is currently batting .199 and Bellinger .211. Not quite automatic outs but it makes pitching against them a lot easier for sure right now.
I just gotta say Mookie at 2nd is not an option.