Walker Buehler, the Red Sox starter, finds himself on the injured list for over a month during the MLB season.
The 30-year-old was placed on the IL for 15 days on Friday due to shoulder inflammation.
Buehler was supposed to pitch against the Twins that day.
Instead, Brayan Bello managed to lead the team to a 6-1 victory.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora seems to think Buehler’s injury isn’t too serious and hopes he’ll be back on the field once the 15 days are up.
“I just hope it’s only two starts missed and that he’s back shortly after this period,” Cora mentioned to the media.
Before heading to the IL, Buehler had a 4-1 record with a 4.28 ERA over six starts, with his last win coming against the Guardians on Saturday.
He signed a one-year, $21.05 million deal with the Red Sox in December after spending his entire career with the Dodgers.
Over his seven seasons in Los Angeles, he made it to the World Series three times, securing a championship in both 2020 and 2024, with a memorable save in Game 5 against the Yankees in the latter.
Buehler has gone through two Tommy John surgeries, which sidelined him for the entire 2023 season, along with missing part of his debut in 2024.
His last complete season was in 2021, where he posted a 16-4 record over a career-high 33 starts with a 2.47 ERA.
His stint on the IL is just the latest in a string of injuries affecting the Red Sox this season.
In the game on Friday, slugger Triston Casas went down with what Cora described as a “serious” knee injury.
Also, right-handed pitcher Kutter Crawford has yet to pitch this season due to a patellar tendon issue in his right knee.
On a positive note, starter Lucas Giolito has recently made his return following Tommy John surgery.
