Walker Buehler is returning just in time for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have an opening in their rotation after River Ryan sustained a season-ending elbow injury last weekend.
Buehler (1-4, 5.84 ERA) will make his first start since June 18 as the Dodgers continue their four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday.
Will Smith, Shohei Ohtani, Gavin Lux and Andy Pages homered in the Dodgers’ 7-2 win over the Brewers on Tuesday. Ohtani leads the National League with 37 home runs.
Los Angeles has won five straight and is tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the best record in the majors at 71-49.
Milwaukee has lost three straight and continues to struggle against the Dodgers. The Brewers have lost nine of their past 10 meetings with Los Angeles, including four of five this season.
“They’re really, really good,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “You can create reasons, but they arguably have the three best players in the game to lead off the game.”
Milwaukee has scored three runs or fewer in each of its past four games after a four-game stretch in which it scored 42 runs. The Brewers were held to six hits in the Tuesday loss.
“I can’t say I particularly like the approaches (at the plate) or anything like that,” Murphy said. “I don’t know exactly what they were thinking at the time.”
Milwaukee’s next challenge is Buehler, a 30-year-old veteran who returned from his second career Tommy John surgery earlier this year. The right-hander made eight starts before landing on the injured list due to right hip inflammation.
Buehler understands expectations are high for his return to the rotation.
“The standard here is different. It’s not just, ‘Work through it and take your lumps,'” he said. “I expect to throw the way I used to, but it’s not just me that expects that. It’s our standard of what we’re trying to accomplish here.
“You can’t pitch to a 5.00 ERA and expect to help us win a World Series.”
Buehler completed a three-start rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, allowing one run and striking out five over 5 1/3 innings. He threw 85 pitches.
“He’s in a good spot,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think physically he feels great. He obviously performed well. It still matters to go out there and feel good about your last outing before coming back. I honestly think this is as confident, as good as Walker has felt — physically and mentally — this year.”
Buehler is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in two career starts against Milwaukee.
The Brewers will counter with right-hander Frankie Montas (5-8, 5.10 ERA), who will make his third start since being acquired from the Cincinnati Reds on July 30.
Montas, 31, received a no-decision after giving up three runs over four innings against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
Ohtani is 11-for-27 (.407) with five homers while Mookie Betts is 5-for-11 (.455) with a home run against Montas, who is 0-2 with an 11.57 ERA in three career starts vs. the Dodgers. He last faced Los Angeles as a member of the Reds on May 17, when he allowed three runs over five innings in a no-decision.
–Field Level Media
