"ERA 5.84" Buehler goes to IL with a hip injury... "There will be a chance to recalibrate."

Walker Buehler, who has been mired in a slump since his return, ends up on the injured list. The LA Times said on the 20th (Korea time) that "Buehler will go to the injured list due to a hip injury. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that "Buehler had been suffering from hip discomfort for a long time before last night."

Buehler started the 2024 Major League Baseball regular season showdown with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, but had only seven hits (two homers) and one walk, two strikeouts and seven runs in four innings. He has a 5.84 ERA this season.

It is embarrassing to think of Buehler, who was once called Clayton Kershaw's successor. Since his debut with the Dodgers in 2018, Buehler was the ace who served as Kershaw's mound until 2021. In 2019, he had 14 wins and 4 losses and an ERA of 3.26, establishing his team's ace formation with Kershaw and Ryu Hyun-jin, and led his team to its first championship since 1988 with overwhelming pitching in the National League Championship Series and World Series in 2020. In 2021, he ranked fourth in the Cy Young Award voting with 16 wins and 4 losses and an ERA of 2.47.

During this period, Buehler's main weapon was fastballs with maximum speed of 161 kilometers per hour. However, his ball power plummeted at the beginning of the 2022 season, and he eventually left the mound. He received his second Tommy John Surgery meant to link tendon in his elbow, but he couldn't return to the mound for a long time. He had to complete rehabilitation last year, but his condition did not return until May after the spring camp and April this year.

However, he hardly has the same ball power as before. He has a batting average of 0.301 this season and has already given up 10 home runs. His fastball speed is 154 km/h on average, but his ball power is not as fast as before. Eventually, he reduced the portion of fastballs, but it is still not working. 동행복권파워볼

He may improve after recovering from his injury, but it is difficult to remain optimistic. The Los Angeles Times said, "This definitely provides an opportunity for Buehler to reset himself in a slump this season." Roberts said, "There is no set date for his return at this time." The media interpreted the situation as "I think he wants to solve some problems before he returns." In other words, the injury could be a reason, but the purpose of the readjustment was strong.

Meanwhile, with Buehler absent, the Dodgers will send fire bowler Young Gun Bobby Miller, who just returned from injury, to the match against Colorado on Tuesday. Miller, who has been called the "second Buehler" since the draft, throws a pitch of up to 163 km/h.

Miller, who made his debut last year and posted an 11-4 record and 3.76 ERA, was also in the rotation from the start of the season, taking the mound in a special match held at the Gocheok Seoul Series. However, after recording a 1-1 record and 5.40 ERA, he suffered shoulder inflammation in April and was placed on the injured list for two months.

The Dodgers, where Miller returned and Buehler left, still have major pitchers on the injured list. While Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the injured list due to a sprained rotator cuff, a large number of key pitchers such as Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May, Ryan Brazier, Joe Kelly, Brusder Graterol and Emmett Sheehan have left the lineup. Kershaw, who underwent shoulder surgery, is also on the injured list but is preparing for rehabilitation the fastest. Kershaw, who is about to make a rehabilitation appearance, is preparing to return in August.