After leaving the Red Sox, many expected Walker Buehler to immediately step into a starting role with a new team. Instead, the Philadelphia Phillies sent him to Triple-A first to make some adjustments — and after allowing just one run in his first outing, there’s reason to believe he could soon be a factor on the mound in Philadelphia.
Buehler threw only three innings in his Triple-A Lehigh Valley debut, but it was enough to show he’s in solid form. On 78 pitches, he finished with this line: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 47 strikes. That kind of efficiency should be encouraging for Phillies fans.
Not everything went smoothly, though. One of the first things fans learned was that Buehler surrendered a home run to the very first batter he faced — Hao-Yu Lee, a former Phillies prospect. Social media was quick to point that out with criticism.
When could Buehler return to the majors?
Buehler is expected to make his Phillies debut on September 12 against the Kansas City Royals. That gives him plenty of time to prepare and potentially open that home series with his arm ready to stabilize the rotation. Depending on how he performs, he could get another opportunity later in the month.
The veteran right-hander brings valuable experience, and despite a rough year with the Red Sox, he’s capable of giving Philadelphia more than many might expect. With the Phillies in need of rotation help, his arrival could come at just the right moment.
“Philadelphia has a loaded rotation even without ace Zack Wheeler, which might put Buehler at long odds to crack the postseason rotation. But he proved last October that when the chips are on the table, he can come out of the bullpen and get the biggest outs imaginable,” Jackson Roberts wrote for Bleacher Report.
