Los Angeles Dodgers ace Walker Buehler has been diagnosed with right elbow discomfort after leaving Friday's game against the San Francisco Giants.
Following the contest, the two-time All-Star indicated that something "grabbed" in his elbow during the third inning, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. Buehler said it persisted until he left the game after four frames. He'll undergo further tests Saturday.
On Saturday, the Dodgers placed Buehler on the 15-day injured list with a right forearm strain and called up right-handed pitching prospect Michael Grove. They're still awaiting Buehler's MRI results.
The 25-year-old Grove was ranked No. 23 in the Dodgers' system, according to MLB Pipeline. The former second-round pick made his MLB debut earlier this year, allowing seven runs - three earned - on seven hits and four walks while striking out three over 4 2/3 innings during one start and one relief appearance.
Buehler, 27, allowed three runs on four hits Friday - including a solo homer to Darin Ruf - while striking out six. Left-hander Justin Bruihl replaced him on the mound with L.A. trailing 3-2. The Giants scored four more runs to win 7-2.
It's Buehler's second straight rough outing. He got lit up for five runs over 2 1/3 innings against the New York Mets last Saturday.
Buehler entered the 2022 campaign as a potential NL Cy Young candidate but possesses a pedestrian 4.02 ERA and 3.84 FIP across 65 innings in 12 starts.
He finished fourth in Cy Young voting last year behind winner and Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, Philadelphia Phillies righty Zack Wheeler, and then-Dodgers teammate Max Scherzer.
Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after leaving Vanderbilt following the 2015 MLB Draft.
The Dodgers began a three-game set against the Giants at Oracle Park on Friday. Clayton Kershaw is tabbed for L.A. on Saturday while the Giants will counter with a bullpen game begun by lefty Sam Long.
While the Dodgers remain atop the NL West at 37-21, they've dropped four of their last six and seven of their last 11 dating back to a three-game sweep at the hands of the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates.
The club's streak of NL West division titles ended last year after eight straight seasons. The Giants finished first, winning a franchise-record 107 games and relegating their bitter rivals to the wild-card game.