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Walker Buehler injury update: Friday 5/2/25

Walker Buehler injury update: Friday 5/2/25

MLB DraftKings Network

Published:

By: Stan Son

UPDATE 5/2/25: Buehler (shoulder) was officially placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 29. RHP Hunter Dobbins was recalled from Triple-A.

During his prime, Walker Buehler was a workhorse, pitching 182.1 and 207.2 innings while averaging a tick under 97 mph on the fastball and striking out over 10 batters per nine. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his career, with the most serious being Tommy John surgery in 2022.

Since returning to the mound, Buehler pitched 75.1 innings last season. The fastball velocity dropped down to 95 mph and the strikeout rate plummeted, while the FIP was 5.54. So far this season, the fastball is averaging 93.8 mph but the FIP is better at 4.27.

The injury bug struck again, though. On Thursday, the Red Sox announced that Buehler felt something off during a side throwing session and will undergo further testing.

Brayan Bello will get the start on Friday for Buehler. Bello has started two games this season and has thrown 11 innings. The results have been disastrous. The ERA is 3.27 but the FIP is telling a different story at 6.35. The strikeout rate is a paltry 14.6% and the K-BB% is only 2.1%. To make matters worse, he’s actually seen good fortune with a low .258 BABIP and an elevated 92.1% strand rate.

Stan Son

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