TORONTO — Walker Buehler could take over the Triple-A Oklahoma City team lead in starts next week.
The Dodgers have decided that Buehler needs one more rehab start before he is ready to join their starting rotation. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler will start for OKC again on Tuesday – his sixth rehab start, fifth with OKC. Currently, no one has made more than four starts for OKC.
Buehler has a 4.95 ERA in his first five rehab starts (including one two-inning outing with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga) with 19 hits and nine walks in 16⅔ innings. But the Dodgers’ concern is more about the length of Buehler’s outings than the results, Roberts indicated. Buehler has pitched into a fifth inning just twice in those five starts, facing just one batter in the fifth inning of his most recent outing.
“We just feel if he can get one more with that OKC team, the following week he’ll be ready to pitch for us,” Roberts said. “Just a consensus that once he gets with us we want to be able to let him run when he gets here.
“I think the one more start for them, once we get him I think he’ll be ready to go and can be used as a regular major-league starter. The fastball’s playing. The command was better, the secondary pitches better. I think we’re in a really good spot with Walker.”
The Dodgers had originally painted Buehler’s rehab assignment as a way to delay the start to his comeback season, saving innings for later in the season – and the postseason. Six rehab starts seem to be extending that timeline.
“Actually, I think initially, with Walker, we were thinking he’d be back with us in the middle of May,” Roberts said. “So I would argue that we’re a little bit ahead of schedule – if it holds.”
Spending more time in the minors is probably not Buehler’s idea but Roberts said the right-hander supports the collective decision.
“I think he’s probably over it,” Roberts said. “But I think he understands our thought because Walker is part of the conversation too.”
OVER PAR
With the Dodgers in Toronto, Roberts was asked where he was on the day in December when erroneous reports circulated that Shohei Ohtani had chosen to sign as a free agent with the Blue Jays, not the Dodgers.
“I remember where I was,” Roberts said, repeating a story he has told a few times now. “I was playing golf at Rancho Santa Fe golf course with (actor) Brian Baumgartner – from ‘The Office’, Kevin – and my phone is blowing up.
“I had my worst round of golf ever. It was the first time I played with him, so the entire round I’m trying to justify that my golf game is not as bad as it is that day.”
Roberts said he was “riding the wave like everyone else” of the various reports.
“I’m happy the way it worked out,” Roberts said.
“That’s not something that Shohei brought on himself as far as spurning the city of Toronto, which he didn’t do. But it was a crazy day.”
POWER DOWN
Dodgers catcher Will Smith is off to a great start offensively. He went into Friday’s game fourth in MLB in batting average (.352). But he only had one home run in the Dodgers’ first 27 games.
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“Honestly, for me, I don’t want Will to chase homers,” Roberts said. “Slug(ing percentage) is more than just homers. He’s hit some doubles. He’s driving in runs. He’s getting on base. I think there’s more value in him taking a quality at-bat with runners in scoring position, to get a base hit to drive a run in versus get bigger with his swing and hit a couple more homers.
“The slug is going to be there. I’m not worried about Will hitting home runs.”
Smith hit his second home run of the season in the fourth inning Friday.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Tyler Glasnow, 4-1, 2.92 ERA) at Blue Jays (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 2-1, 2.28 ERA), Saturday, 12:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM