The Los Angeles Dodgers may have the best major league rotation going into the 2024 season. After Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler return, it’s one of the deepest rotations Los Angeles has seen in a long time.
Buehler will take the mound early in the season after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery for the previous 18 months. He has had TJ surgery twice in his professional life.
His comeback is critical not just for the Dodgers but also for his MLB career. He will be hitting free agency for the first time in his career following the 2024 season.
The 29-year-old’s impending free agency will undoubtedly be one of the major topics of conversation this season, but he has no intention of thinking about it.
The two-time All-Star revealed he isn’t considering free agency while expressing his love for the Dodgers in interviews with reporters, including FOX Sports Rowan Kavner.
Early in January, Buehler and the Dodgers reached an agreement on a one-year, $8.025 million contract, avoiding arbitration.
The last time the former first-team All-MLB pitcher faced the San Francisco Giants on a major league mound was in June 2022. After pitching 638.1 innings, the right-hander has 690 strikeouts and a 3.02 lifetime ERA.
He’s among the best pitchers in the league when healthy, and the Dodgers are hoping to get that version of him this year.
During his four healthiest seasons, 2018–2021, Buehler went 39–13 in 95 games and 564 innings, with a 2.82 ERA, 620 strikeouts, a 146 ERA+, 3.16 FIP, and a 0.98 WHIP.
After this season, the Dodgers will have to make a significant choice about Buehler’s future in Los Angeles. A lot of it will depend on Buehler’s appearance and performance following his second TJ surgery.
This is a make-or-break year for the 29-year-old.
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