I will be the very first to admit that I am ridiculously biased when it comes to 23-year-old Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler, but with good cause.

I was blessed to have personally witnessed the Lexington, Kentucky native and Dodgers 2015 first-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt University during his five games with the Dodgers Advance Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2017 prior to his major league debut with the Dodgers that very same season; an extremely rare accomplishment.

It was impossible not to be in absolute awe watching Buehler pitch at Rancho Cucamonga in 2017, where he frequently hovered around the century mark with his fastball. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As every Dodger fan knows by now, shortly after being drafted by the Dodgers, the 6′-2″ / 175-pound righty immediately needed Tommy John surgery – a condition that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi knew when they selected him as the 24th overall pick and the very reason why he was still on the table in that 2015 draft. And even though there were some who were critical of F&Z for using their first round pick on a guy who wouldn’t even pick up a baseball for another 14 months, by every indication, the Buehler selection could very well prove to be the Dodgers best draft selection since that of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw in 2006.

Even though Buehler received a September call-up in 2017 and appeared in eight games with the eventual National League champions (all in relief), he posted a 3-5 record and a less-than-stellar 7.71 ERA. That being said, the Dodgers made it abundantly clear that they were going to be abundantly cautious with their young hard-throwing right-hander, who frequently draws comparisons – both physically and in pitching style – with another Dodger great; that of Orel Hershiser … and we all know how that worked out.

Although it seemed as though the Dodgers were being ridiculously overcautious with Buehler this past spring and even during the first four weeks of the 2018 season, which he began at Triple-A Oklahoma City, it now appears that the kid gloves have come off of the former Commodore. In fact, with Dodgers left-hander and (initial) number five starter Hyun-Jin Ryu now on the disabled list with a severe groin strain that he suffered in the second inning on May 2, by all appearances, Buehler, who was called up to make spot starts against the Miami Marlins on April 23 and the San Francisco Giants in the first game of a doubleheader on April 28 (both of which he won), is finally up to stay – although Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has yet to formally announce this.

In his first career start with the Dodgers on April 23, Buehler allowed no runs on five hits, with three walks and five strikeouts in his 5.0 innings of work. He also picked up the win. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

What the Dodger skipper did say is that they currently have no plans to overhaul their beleaguered bullpen which, quite frankly, has been absolutely atrocious of late. Roberts also adamantly said that they have no plans to move right-hander Kenta Maeda into the bullpen, at least not anytime soon. And while he did not come right out an say that Buehler will remain in the Dodgers rotation after his scheduled start on Friday night against the San Diego Padres in Monterrey, Mexico, with Ryu now on the shelf until (at least) the All-Star break, there is absolutely no reason to believe that he will not.

“Walker is an option down the road, sooner than later, but right now, we’re not to the point where we feel we have to essentially overhaul the bullpen,” Roberts said. “Right now, Kenta is a starter, he’s earned it. Right now, internally, we’re not talking about it.”

Although Roberts’ comment was focused more on Maeda, that “sooner than later” remark about Buehler is significant, especially when you take into account that it was made before Ryu’s injury. As such, it appears that “sooner” has officially arrived.

The floor – and ceiling – is yours, Walker.