Lexington's Walker Buehler undergoes second UCL surgery, out till '24

Lexington, KY native Walker Buehler will be out until 2024 after undergoing a second Tommy John surgery on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Dodgers star, 28, last pitched on June 10 before exiting with elbow discomfort. Two months later, team doctors determined a full UCL reconstruction was necessary, along with a flexor tendon repair. Now, he will miss the remainder of the 2022 season, along with the entirety of 2023, as well.

“Tommy John Round 2 let’s roll,” Buehler wrote on Instagram. “See ya when I see ya (Dodgers).”

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Buehler previously underwent Tommy John surgery in 2015 after being selected No. 24 in the MLB Draft.

One of the top pitchers in the league, Buehler has a career 3.02 ERA with 690 total strikeouts and 162 walks in 638 1/3 innings.

A former Henry Clay standout, the Lexington native was a two-time All-State and two-time All-City selection, winning three straight district championships and finishing as the Regional runner-up in 2010. He holds the school’s single-season strikeout record with 98 in just 66.0 innings, with the program later retiring his jersey.

Buehler went on to pitch for three seasons at Vanderbilt, finishing with a final record of 21-7 to go with 260 strikeouts and 86 walks in 253.2 innings. He allowed just 15 home runs over the course of his dominant career with the Commodores.

Now, the 28-year-old has a difficult road ahead of him as he works to get back on the mound in 2024.