Dodgers manager praises Walker Buehler's NLCS outing after prior struggles in return from Tommy John surgery

NEW YORK, NY – Walker Buehler's regular play couldn't person gone overmuch worse pursuing a instrumentality from Tommy John surgery, but connected Wednesday night, helium looked similar his aged self.

The 30-year-old Buehler, who was erstwhile astir apt considered the ace of this Los Angeles Dodgers staff, sans Clayton Kershaw, pitched to a career-worst 5.38 ERA successful 16 starts this year.

With different injuries to the Dodgers rotation, including Kerhsaw, Buehler was tabbed arsenic a starter astir retired of necessity.

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Walker Buehler #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during Game 3 of the NLCS presented by loanDepot betwixt the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets astatine Citi Field connected Wednesday, October 16, 2024, successful New York, New York.  (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

His archetypal postseason commencement was a microcosm of his regular season: bad. He allowed six earned runs successful 5 innings against the San Diego Padres successful what could person been his last outing of the season.

But L.A. won that bid successful 5 games, and the Dodgers tabbed Buehler arsenic their starter for Game 3 of the NLCS.

Short of transportation number and innings, helium did not disappoint. He struck retired Francisco Lindor with the bases loaded successful the 2nd inning, and was capable to grind retired 4 scoreless frames, adjacent if it took him 90 pitches.

From wherever he's been this full season, and adjacent arsenic precocious arsenic conscionable past week, manager Dave Roberts is rather impressed with Buehler's turnaround.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler (21) reacts aft an retired against the New York Mets successful the 2nd inning during crippled 3 of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs astatine Citi Field.  (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

DODGERS' DAVE ROBERTS STILL RELISHES 'BEATING THAT TEAM ACROSS TOWN'

"He's benignant of had to reinvent himself, and I accidental that successful a complementary way. Obviously, this twelvemonth was precise rocky trying to get backmost from a truly large surgery," Roberts said aft Game 3 of the NLCS against the New York Mets, which the Dodgers won, 8-0.

"The different portion of it is it's casual to thrust erstwhile the wind's astatine your back... but erstwhile there's adversity, you suffer confidence, to past reset, comeback, and inactive instrumentality it out. That's thing for maine that I don't deliberation helium ever had to do. You look astatine June oregon July, I don't deliberation anybody could person seen him successful this presumption close now, truthful that's a recognition to Walker."

Walker himself shied distant from saying helium felt immoderate further unit aft that dismal commencement against the Padres — "pressure is simply a privilege," helium said.

"I don't deliberation pressure's the close word. It's truthful overused… I've gotten to bash this a batch of times. These games surely get maine excited, they don't overwhelm maine similar they utilized to erstwhile I was younger," helium added.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler (21) throws a transportation against the New York Mets successful the archetypal inning during crippled 3 of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs astatine Citi Field. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

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Buehler is present successful enactment to transportation a imaginable Game 7, and though helium would similar to spell longer than 4 innings, helium surely has a overmuch sweeter feeling close present than helium did aft his past outing.

Plus, Roberts surely won't person immoderate contented with penning his sanction connected that lineup paper if helium needs to a fewer days from now.

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