Why is Walker Buehler placed on 15-day IL? All we know about Red Sox’s star’s shoulder injury

The Boston Red Sox have placed their star pitcher Walker Buehler on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. His IL notice came just a day before the 2024 World Series champion was scheduled to face the Minnesota Twins.

With Buehler gone, rookie Hunter Dobbins has been called for assignment. Red Sox manager Alex Cora seemed pretty optimistic as he addressed that Buehler’s leave shouldn’t be longer than the given period.

The team expects him to be back in the lineup after 15 days unless rehab comes into question. As of now, the injury doesn’t seem serious enough to sideline the pitcher for the long term.

"Shoulder inflammation. He's gonna go on the IL," Cora said. "We don't think it's that serious. Miss two starts and hopefully be back as soon as the days (on the IL) are over."

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Just like Cora, head athletic trainer Brandon Henry also seems to agree with the Red Sox skipper. The most they expect Walker Buehler to miss is “two starts”.

Buehler’s injury history is quite extensive, with one of the notable ones being in 2024. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery with the LA Dodgers, which was also part of the reason the team didn’t sign him during free agency.

"We'll talk about it, but I'm not too worried about it," Cora added. "(Head Athletic Trainer) Brandon (Henry) is not either, so hopefully, like I said, it's something he misses two starts and is right back with us."

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Walker Buehler suffered from several elbow injuries over the years, including a rib fracture in 2018 and a hip injury in 2024.

Hunter Dobbins to take position in place of Walker Buehler

Hunter Dobbins and Walker Buehler [Source: Imagn]

Rookie pitcher Hunter Dobbins has been called by the Red Sox to start the game against the Twins. Dobbins has made two starts with the Red Sox this season, recording a 2.45 ERA and 11 strikeouts.

Despite concern over Buehler’s IL visit, the team is welcoming back Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito from the injured list. The Red Sox won the series opener versus the Twins 6-1 at Fenway Park.

About the author

Kaushani Chatterjee is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda with a Master's in English and over four years of experience at publications such as FirstSportz.

Kaushani 's favorite teams are the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. She is a fan of Yankees as a group, their star power and their history oozes class. As for the Dodgers, Kaushani likes Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

She started watching the MLB during her school years and developed a keen interest in the sport. Now she is hooked.

Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are her favorite players. Kaushani likes their playstyles and personalities.

Kaushani's hobbies include guitar, sketching, watching anime (tons of them), listening to music, and watching Asian dramas (Korean/Thai in general).

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Edited by Veer Badani