Dodgers decide to delay Walker Buehler’s start to season
LA TimesDodgers pitcher Walker Buehler, working against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 13, 2022, has added 20 pounds of muscle that he hopes will help him better deal with the long season. But I want to be really good when I play, and I want to play a good amount.” The Dodgers have more than enough depth to weather Buehler’s late start and ease the workloads of new starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched once a week in Japan, Tyler Glasnow, who has never thrown more than 120 innings in his eight big league seasons, and James Paxton, who has made only 20 starts in the last three seasons. “I don’t think anyone has a timeline, but it’s fair to say it’s going to be a late start for the season for Walker,” manager Dave Roberts said. “My elbow keeps snapping, man, so I had to put a little weight around it and try to protect it a little bit.” Ohtani rehab report While Shohei Ohtani said he is “very confident” he will be ready to serve as the team’s designated hitter for the March 20-21 season-opening series against San Diego in Seoul, the two-way star has not begun the throwing part of his rehabilitation from a second Tommy John surgery last Sept. 19. The main focus will be on hitting, and we’re going to try to ease into the pitching program throughout the year.” Sour taste remains A $1.2-billion winter spending spree that netted Ohtani, Yamamoto, Glasnow and others and has positioned the Dodgers as World Series favorites didn’t erase the playoff disappointment of last October, when the heavily favored 100-win Dodgers were swept by the 84-win Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-game National League division series.