Dodgers’ Walker Buehler hoping to return for season’s final month

Associated PressMay 16, 2023, 9:55 PM EDT
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Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
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LOS ANGELES — Walker Buehler is hoping to return in time for the final month of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ regular season.

His manager is taking a wait-and-see approach.

The right-hander threw a modified bullpen session at Dodger Stadium before the game against the Minnesota Twins. Buehler threw from the mound to a catcher in a standing position.

Buehler had his second Tommy John surgery on Aug. 23. His first was in 2015 shortly after being drafted in the first round by the Dodgers.

“The 8½, 9 months has gone pretty quick. I feel like I’m over two-thirds of the way,” Buehler said. “Sept. 1 is still the goal. I want to get up to a certain pitch count where me being here is not a hindrance.”

Buehler’s next step in ramping up includes throwing to a crouching catcher in a couple weeks.

With Tommy John surgery recovery time usually 12-18 months, manager Dave Roberts admitted Buehler’s timeline is aggressive.

“That’s embedded in Walker, the confidence. That’s not surprising,” Roberts said. “Today was a good day and we’ll see how he progresses.”

While Buehler would like to be back this season, he said he will not try to rush back. Being healthy for 2024 remains the foremost goal.

“I have to try and look out for myself and the team here. The biggest thing is I want to come back healthy for all of next year,” he said. “There are some exciting parts of playing at the end of this year and that’s something I want to do. But if I’m not healthy enough, I’m not going to try and put a square peg in a round hole.”

Buehler went 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 2021 while making his second All-Star team and finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Last season, Buehler was 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts. The 28-year-old has a 3.02 career ERA.

Nationals blow 6-run lead, rebound to beat Phillies 8-7

Associated PressJun 3, 2023, 12:55 AM EDT
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WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.

The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.

“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”

Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.

“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.

Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.

“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”

Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.

Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.

In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.

Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”

Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.

Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.

In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.

Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.

“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”

CANDY MAN

Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.

UP NEXT

Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.

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