Walker Buehler’s shoulder injury once again shines a spotlight on vulnerable Red Sox rotation
When he’s at his best, Buehler can go pitch-for-pitch with MLB’s very best. He was essential to the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series run, returning from an injury-plagued regular season and finding his stride at the perfect moment. He was, fittingly, on the mound to close out L.A.’s Game 5, series-clinching victory over the Yankees with a two-strikeout save.
He is now a two-time champ and a two-time All-Star. Buehler has logged 30-plus starts twice in eight MLB seasons; in both instances, he finished top-10 in NL Cy Young voting. The arc of his career thus far has been defined by durability concerns, however. Buehler has eclipsed 100-plus innings thrice. He is rarely healthy and fully functional for a complete 162-game cycle.
Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery midway through the 2022 season and missed all of 2023 as he recovered. Buehler has often needed a long runway to build up momentum and settle into a groove. When his season gets sidetracked by injuries, naturally, his production tends to plummet.
It has not been the best start to Buehler’s post-Dodgers career, posting a 4.28 ERA and 1.22 WHIP through five starts with the Red Sox, but he is undeniably essential to what Boston is attempting to build. He inked a one-year, $21.5 million contract in the offseason, which was a pricey investment for the Red Sox — but one rooted in Buehler’s elite peaks and his tendency to level up in the playoffs.
We don’t know the full extent of Buehler’s shoulder ailment yet, but it’s not a great sign. Especially when Boston cannot afford another prolonged absence from a key starter. This was a short-term investment from GM Craig Breslow; Buehler’s probably not long for Boston after the Crochet extension. If what is potentially Buehler’s only go-around in a Red Sox uniform has already been sidetracked, Boston will be in a tough position trying to adequately replace him.
