Los Angeles Dodgers make right decision on Walker Buehler

After his impressive outing on Friday, the Los Angeles Dodgers are making the right decision regarding Walker Buehler.

It would be difficult to have a better outing in a spot start than Walker Buehler had for the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Friday, he fired six no hit innings against the Padres, issuing three walks and striking out eight batters as the Dodgers threw their first combined no hitter in team history.

Given that impressive outing, and the subsequent injuries to Hyun-Jin Ryu and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers need to find anyone that can help them win games. As they seek to dig out of their hole in the NL West, Buehler is going to be given his chance to stick in the rotation, at least for the time being.

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It certainly makes sense to see what Buehler can do over an extended period of time with the Dodgers. He has looked like a major league caliber starter thus far, albeit it in a small sample size. In his 16 innings, he has allowed just two runs on ten hits and seven walks, striking out 19 batters. This follows up on a strong showing in the minors thus far, as Buehler has posted a 3.04 ERA and a 1.078 WHiP, striking out 147 batters in his 106.2 innings.

Considered a consensus top 25 prospect heading into 2018, Buehler is expected to become a future top of the rotation starter for the Dodgers. However, there are still some concerns, particularly regarding his health. He had undergone Tommy John surgery already, and has yet to pitch even 100 innings in a season as a professional. While the Dodgers will not be putting any innings limitations on him at present, that may change once Ryu and Kershaw return to action.

However, as Roberts said, the focus is on winning games. The Dodgers are currently 15-18, seven games out of first in the NL West. Buehler, if he is able to replicate his performance in the minors, would certainly help them in the standings. For a team that still harbors World Series aspirations, Buehler is certainly their best option right now.

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Walker Buehler is going to get an extended look with the Los Angeles Dodgers. If he performs well, he may not leave the rotation.