The Boston Red Sox have dealt with their fair share of injuries before the middle of May is even here. The Red Sox's starting rotation is one of the club's areas that's been plagued the most by injuries, with right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler being one of the latest hurlers to end up on the sidelines.
Buehler was placed on the 15-day injured list over the weekend after dealing with soreness in his right shoulder. The veteran RHP's IL placement was enough to worry Boston fans who are already tired of the endless injuries, leaving time to tell how long Buehler's stint will last.
The good news is that all signs point to a quick recovery. The bad news — for Buehler, at least — is that the entire injury situation has left him feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Red Sox RHP Walker Buehler Won't Be Sidelined by 'Embarrassing' Shoulder Injury for Long
On Sunday morning, Buehler told MassLive's Chris Cotillo that he only plans "to miss two or three starts before returning to Boston’s rotation." Having said that, the quick recovery time has the Red Sox's offseason addition feeling embarrassed that he even ended up on the IL to begin with.
"I'm a guy that has pitched through a lot of things. The fact it was just bursitis and I had to go on the IL is embarrassing for me in some ways," Walker admitted. "I think there are certain things you have to check off during the week to be able to go and start a major league game, and I wasn’t able to do those things."
For those unfamiliar with the term, bursitis "is inflammation" that can be caused by bones, muscles, and joints rubbing too much. According to WebMD, the situation "usually gets better on its own after a few weeks of resting the affected area," which aligns with Buehler's recovery expectations.
Hopefully, the 30-year-old righty picks up from where he left off upon returning. The former Los Angeles Dodgers hurler was turning things around after a slow start to the year, going 3-0 with a 2.59 ERA and 22 strikeouts in his last four starts (24 1/3 innings).
Buehler potentially continuing his recently improved play would be great news for Boston's outlook. In the meantime, the Red Sox's +2000 odds to win the 2025 World Series are currently tied for the ninth-best odds on DraftKings Sportsbook.
