Dodgers' Buehler without firm timetable to return from Tommy John

The Los Angeles Dodgers are taking a cautious approach with right-hander Walker Buehler's recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Buehler remains without a firm timetable for a return to the mound.

"There's a progression that needs to be in place and is in place," Roberts said, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Once he passes all those markers, he'll be ready to go. I just don't know when that's going to be."

Buehler missed the entire 2023 season after undergoing surgery on his elbow in August 2022. The 29-year-old also had Tommy John surgery in 2015, shortly after he was selected by the Dodgers in the first round of the draft.

"I had a good offseason and put in a lot of work, and my arm feels good," Buehler said Friday, according to MLB.com's Juan Toribio. "I'm just trying to take today toward whenever I'm going to actually pitch and figure out the best way to build up."

Buehler will earn $8.025 million in 2024 and is scheduled to reach free agency at the conclusion of the campaign.

The two-time All-Star owns an impressive 46-16 record with a 3.02 ERA and 9.73 K/9 during his six-year career.

The Dodgers are currently projected to begin the season with a rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, James Paxton, Bobby Miller, and Emmet Sheehan.