BOSTON — It was only appropriate that Walker Buehler would be one of the last members of the 2024 World Series championship team to get his ring. After all, he threw the final pitch.
“We played Anaheim, we didn’t play in L.A. So I haven’t really been back,” Buehler said before his former Dodgers teammates, coaches and staff presented him with his ring and gold-lettered jersey on the field near the visitors’ dugout at Fenway Park between pre-game rain showers on Friday.
“But that moment means a lot to all of us, that we’re a part of it, and the city and the fans that come out every day for us there.”
They came out at Fenway Park, too. Buehler was visiting with some of his former teammates early Friday afternoon when the stadium was only open to tour groups. But he was shouted out by Dodger fans among the tour group.
“Yeah, talking to Orel (Hershiser) about some of that stuff that he’s gone through and the way people react to him, I think it’s obviously two different situations. But that was really cool, for the fans walking around to yell at me,” he said. “I kind of imagine in L.A. it’ll be like that for a while, I hope.”
It was actually a quick honeymoon for Buehler. Just days after the World Series parade, the Dodgers chose not to extend a qualifying offer to him. By the end of December, Buehler had signed a one-year, $21.05 million contract with the Boston Red Sox (essentially the same amount as the qualifying offer).
“It was an interesting situation,” Buehler said in retrospect Friday. “There’s obviously two sides to that situation. We had conversations about it. We talked through it. And they went and signed guys that they wanted to sign. And I signed with a place that I wanted to play. It kind of is what it is.”
Buehler struggled in his return from a second Tommy John surgery last season, going 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA before contributing to the Dodgers’ postseason run. He has struggled this year as well and will take a 6-6 record and 5.72 ERA into his next start – Sunday against the Dodgers.
“I think everyone kind of knows I’m on a one-year contract, so you never know what’s going to happen down the road. But it’s an interesting job,” Buehler said of facing his former team. “Playing against your old team is one thing, but playing against them when you haven’t seen them since you won the whole thing is a whole different thing.
“At the end of the day, we’ll still all kind of be close or whatever for forever and have some really good memories of last October.”
BETTS MISSING
Mookie Betts was in Nashville on a personal matter Friday but is expected to rejoin the team at some point on Saturday. It’s uncertain whether he will be in the lineup or not.
“I think he’ll be back tomorrow right around game time. So we’ll kind of see,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s trying to make sure he gets back as soon as he can. Not sure if he’s going to be in the lineup. But he’ll be in town at some point tomorrow.”
TREINEN READY
Veteran reliever Blake Treinen pitched hitless innings Wednesday and Thursday for Triple-A Oklahoma City, likely ending his minor-league rehabilitation assignment. In six innings with OKC, Treinen pitched six hitless innings, gave up an unearned run, walked one and struck out nine. He retired the last 12 batters he faced, striking out half of them.
Roberts said Treinen won’t be available before Sunday and there is some consideration being given to having him pitch an ‘up-down’ – finishing off one inning then going back out for the next – before activating him.
Treinen, 37, made just eight appearances with the Dodgers this season before going on the 60-day injured list in mid-April with a strained forearm.
ALSO
Third baseman Max Muncy and pitcher Roki Sasaki have moved their rehabs to the Dodgers’ training complex in Arizona while the team is on a three-city trip. Muncy is expected to start a minor-league rehabilitation assignment next week. …
Pitcher Blake Snell is scheduled to make another rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He lines up to rejoin the Dodgers’ starting rotation during their series against one of his former teams, the Tampa Bay Rays, next weekend.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 4-1, 3.27 ERA) at Red Sox (LHP Garrett Crochet, 11-4, 2.19 ERA), Saturday, 4:15 p.m. PT, FOX (Ch. 11), 570 AM