Ex-Henry Clay star pitcher Walker Buehler hopes to return to form with Dodgers
Random notes:
▪ It’s not yet known when former Henry Clay star Walker Buehler will return from the injured list for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Coming off his second Tommy John surgery, Buehler posted a 5.84 ERA over eight starts when he was put on the IL for a hip issue. That was over a month ago.
Buehler spent part of his rehab time away from the Dodgers. He went to Cressey Sports Performance in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Buehler met Eric Cressey during his college days at Vanderbilt.
“Sometimes that second set of eyes is not a bad thing,” Buehler told The Athletic. “The last thing I would want is for anyone to think it was any sort of indictment on the people that we have here. I just think it was simply like, I just felt like I needed to be somewhere else for a second.”
Buehler was 16-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 2021 before suffering another arm injury in 2022. He missed the entire 2023 season before returning May 6 this season.
At 61-41 after Tuesday’s play, the Dodgers own the second-best record in the National League. The Philadelphia Phillies are 64-37.
▪ Speaking of the Dodgers, former UK pitcher James Paxton was designated for assignment by Los Angeles. Paxton hasn’t pitched poorly. He’s 8-2 with a 4.43 ERA for Los Angeles, but the Dodgers didn’t have room for him on L.A.’s stacked roster.
▪ It’s just like the Reds to be swept by the sub-.500 Nationals coming out of the All-Star break, then beat the Braves in Atlanta on Monday.
Entering Wednesday’s doubleheader with the Braves, Cincinnati was 12-6 against the Braves, Phillies, Dodgers and Yankees. It was 36-47 vs. everyone else.
▪ If you go strictly by last week’s SEC Football Media Days voting, Kentucky will finish 3-5 in conference play. Mark Stoops’ Wildcats were picked 11th in the 16-team league. They were picked behind opponents Georgia (1), Texas (2), Ole Miss (4), Tennessee (7) and Auburn (10). They were picked ahead of Florida (12), South Carolina (13) and Vanderbilt (16).
▪ Judging by the fans I know, I expect to see a lot of Kentucky fans in Austin for the UK-Texas football game on Nov. 23.
▪ As you might expect, Kentucky leads the state-by-state breakdown with 30 home-state players on the current UK football roster. Ohio is next with 15. Georgia has 14. Alabama has seven, followed by Texas and Indiana with four each. Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Tennessee each have 3.
▪ Most NFL teams are not crazy about the idea of appearing on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Not the Cincinnati Bengals, who will appear along with division members Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh in this year’s in-season edition dedicated to the NFC North.
“I’m excited about ‘Hard Knocks,’” said Bengals coach Zac Taylor at the team’s media luncheon on Monday. “It’s a chance to showcase the personalities we have on this team.”
“It can be a bit annoying at first,” said Bengals owner Mike Brown. “But then you forget the cameras are there.”
▪ Not surprised that the PGA event held in Nicholasville since 2018 is moving to Louisville. Outside of hardcore golf fans, the tournament at Keene Trace failed to capture the public’s attention. The lack of big name golfers didn’t help.
▪ Sorry, but I just can’t work up much interest in The Basketball Tournament.
▪ The 3-year-old Dornoch has now won both the Belmont Stakes and the Haskell, which makes him the favorite for the Travers on Aug. 24. Remember, Dornoch ran fourth in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland back in April. I happened to be standing behind the owners and remember how disappointed they were with that race.
▪ Churchill Downs did absolutely the right thing reinstating Bob Baffert from his suspension for Medina Spirit’s positive test for a banned substance after the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
I’m on record as saying Churchill’s decision to extend the initial two-year suspension of the six-time Derby-winning trainer made the action unnecessarily personal. The removal is better late than never. Should make for an interesting 151st Run for the Roses next May.
