LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler had bone spurs removed from his right elbow in a procedure unrelated to the flexor strain that has sidelined him.
Buehler said Tuesday he had the arthroscopic surgery done a day earlier. He did it now because it doesn’t affect the rest and rehab timeline for the strain. The right-hander is expected to be out 10 to 12 weeks, which means it could be September before he returns.
Asked how confident he is about returning this season, Buehler said, “As confident as you can be.”
Manager Dave Roberts said removing the bone spurs seemed like the best course of action.
“If there's an opportunity for him to come back, he will,” Roberts said. “It's going to be a tough process because no player wants to go through that and you sort of feel alienated, isolated. It's going to be a tough, lonely road for a while.”
Buehler left last Friday's start at San Francisco after four innings when his elbow began bothering him. After the game, the 27-year-old said he’s dealt with occasional soreness in his elbow in recent years. He was placed on the 15-day injured list last Saturday.
Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015, shortly after Los Angeles selected him from Vanderbilt with the 24th overall pick in the amateur draft. A two-time All-Star, Buehler is 6-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 12 starts.
The Dodgers recalled right-hander Reyes Moronta and optioned right-hander Michael Grove to the minors.
Moronta joins the club for the second time this season after posting a 2.25 ERA with seven strikeouts in seven games for the Dodgers. At Triple-A Oklahoma City, he was 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA, including two saves in 10 games.
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