The Los Angeles Dodgers have been extremely cautious with their young pitching prospects in recent years, particularly ones coming off Tommy John surgery like Walker Buehler.
The organization has made it clear that they plan to again limit Buehler’s innings this season, which is his second full year coming off the surgery. Thus, he would appear unlikely to be included on the Dodgers Opening Day roster.
Buehler threw 98 combined innings between the Minors and Majors in 2017, his first full professional season. And although the Dodgers intend to keep the right-hander on a limit in 2018, manager Dave Roberts said that could increase by a significant margin to as much as 140-150 innings, via Andy McCullough of the L.