In the 331 days since Walker Buehler struck out his former teammate Alex Verdugo to win the Los Angeles Dodgers their eighth World Series championship, he has had to somewhat fight back to find himself back on a major league roster, signing a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox last December before being released in August and signing a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Just two weeks ago, he was added to the active roster, and with the Phillies now locked into the MLB postseason, many fans now speculate if Buehler has done enough in that time span to start in the postseason for the team, given that ace Zack Wheeler will not be available.
You would think that Buehler would be committed to an answer, and you wouldn't exactly be right. Or wrong.
Buehler Non-Committal on Postseason with Phillies
When asked by Tim Kelly of On Pattison if he believed that he had put himself in the right spot to be a starter on the mound for the team in October, the righty's answer wasn't anything complex.
"That's above my paygrade."
However, Buehler would later show his desire to do so, saying that "Next time we celebrate, I wanna feel like I was a part of it."
And there should be no question as to whether Buehler's skill would allow him to start for the team, as a recent start against the Miami Marlins saw him go five innings while only allowing three hits and striking out five.
I think every pitch in the playoffs is a little bit more," Buehler added in his interview. "I think if you throw 100 pitches during the regular season, you’re ready to throw 75 or 80 in the playoffs.”
Whether their playoff plans include the former Dodger or not, the Phillies get an extended break to start after achieving one of two first-round byes that inserts them right into the NLDS.