What they do know, however, is that they will be without their most talented pitcher while they pursue a World Series title. The Dodgers own the highest winning percentage and lowest ERA in the major leagues despite navigating a variety of injuries to their staff, with 11 pitchers currently on their injured list. However, Dustin May is expected to return from Tommy John surgery on Saturday and the team hopes Clayton Kershaw, barring early August with lower back discomfort, can return in time to be ready for the playoffs of. . Recording a first-round bye, awarded to the two teams with the best records in each league under the new format, would certainly help his cause. 2 Related Buehler, 28, underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the Dodgers drafted him out of Vanderbilt with the 24th overall pick in 2015. From 2018 to 2021, he established himself as one of the dominant arms in the sport, hitting 39- 13 with a 2.82 ERA and 620 strikeouts in 564 regular-season innings while pitching in several of the Dodgers’ biggest postseason games. But Buehler got off to a relatively slow start in 2022, allowing eight runs in 6 1/3 innings in his first two June outings and being sidelined with a flexor strain that also removed a bone spur from his right elbow. The original timeline had Buehler recovering in 10 to 12 weeks, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters in Milwaukee on Monday that Buehler felt unusual pain while playing catch, prompting the MRI that led to him being shut down for good . The Dodgers will begin October with Buehler gone, Kershaw soon sidelined by a back injury, May in the early stages of his return from major elbow surgery and Tony Gonsolin surpassing his previous career high in innings. Julio Urias and Tyler Anderson, the latter a revelation in his first season in LA, will likely be relied on heavily.
