"Baseball is a brutally fickle sport": MLB fans give reality check to Walker Buehler after conceding home run in Triple-A debut

Two-time World Series winner Walker Buehler's season continues to unravel as the former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher struggled in his Triple-A debut for the Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Walker Buehler, who pitched the Dodgers to a second World Series title last season, elected for free agency in the offseason. He was signed by the Boston Red Sox on a one-year, $21.05 million deal in December.

However, Buehler failed to live up to expectations with his new team in the American League, registering a 7–7 record with an abysmal 5.45 ERA in 22 starts. The Red Sox released him last month before the Philadelphia Phillies swopped in for the two-time All-Star ace.

Buehler, faced a setback in his first Triple-A game for the Phillies as he conceded a home run to the first batter he faced on his minor league debut.

Fans gave a reality check to the former Red Sox pitcher on social media.

"Dude actually won the World Series last year.. and less than a year later he’s giving up home runs to the fkn Toledo Mud Hens.. baseball is s brutally fickle sport."

"Walker Buehler didn’t get cut 3/4 through the season because he could still pitch."

"That’s baseball for ya!"

Meanwhile, several fans claimed he'd fit right in with Aaron Nola in the Phillies' rotation.

"Aaron Nola does the same thing and we gave him a massive contract, he’s ready!"

"He'll fit right in w/Nola and Walker."

"I’ve seen enough, give him $26,000,000 a year."

Walker Buehler bounces back after shaky start on Triple-A debut

After giving up a home run on the first batter he saw, Walker Buehler rebounded strongly as it ended up being the only run conceded by the two-time All-Star pitcher.

Bueheler pitched three innings, conceding an earned run, with five hits and three strikeouts. The Phillies are expected to call him up to the senior team before the game against the Kansas City Royals on Sept. 12.

The former Dodgers ace is eligible to pitch in the postseason for the Phillies, who have struggled with injuries to their starters this season and will go with s six-man rotation with Buehler in the mix.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash