Red Sox Strategically Place Walker Buehler on Injured List: What It Means for the Team

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Red Sox Strategically Place Walker Buehler on Injured List: What It Means for the Team

The Boston Red Sox recently placed right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler on the 15-day injured list due to shoulder inflammation, as announced by manager Alex Cora. The team hopes this stint will be brief. In his place, the Red Sox are set to start Hunter Dobbins, a young righty who debuted last month and has impressed in his two starts.

Buehler signed a one-year contract worth $21.05 million with the Red Sox this offseason. This was a big investment, especially considering his struggles in 2024 after returning from Tommy John surgery. While he showed flashes of brilliance during the postseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers, his regular-season performance hasn’t quite matched that level.

Currently, Buehler has a 4.28 ERA. Although his strikeout and walk rates have improved, he’s averaging a career-low fastball speed at 93.5 mph. While better than last year’s 18.6% strikeout rate, this is still a significant drop from his peak of 29.2% when he was considered a top-tier pitcher.

In a twist for the Red Sox, Buehler’s injury comes just after they welcomed Lucas Giolito back from his own UCL surgery. Giolito missed the entirety of last season and the start of this one. The team has also been coping without Kutter Crawford and has only seen Brayan Bello make two starts this year.

Despite these setbacks, the Red Sox’s starting pitchers have performed well, ranking 14th in the majors with a respectable 3.91 ERA. If Buehler needs more time to heal, Dobbins should be ready to step up. In 2021, he pitched 125.2 innings in the minors, with an impressive 2.61 ERA. This season, in the majors, he has only allowed three earned runs over 11 innings, resulting in a 2.45 ERA.

In the world of baseball, injuries are common, but how teams manage these challenges can largely influence their season. With evolving strategies and targeted training, clubs are increasingly focused on keeping their players healthy for the long haul. As teams navigate through injuries, the depth of their pitching staff becomes crucial.

For more on recent player health trends in the MLB, you can check out the latest reports from ESPN.



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hunter dobbins,walker buehler