Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler to undergo MRI due to elbow discomfort

Los Angeles Dodgers ace Walker Buehler will undergo an MRI on Saturday after feeling discomfort in his right elbow during a start against the San Francisco Giants on Friday night, according to ESPN.

Buehler, 27, pitched four innings against the Giants and allowed three runs before he was relieved by Justin Bruihl in the fifth inning. The Dodgers went on to lose, 7-2, dropping Buehler's record on the year to 6-3.

"I threw a breaking ball in the third inning and it kind of grabbed a little bit and kind of didn't go away," Buehler told reporters after the game, via ESPN. "I tried to pitch through it to see if it would pop away. Sometimes that'll happen, but it didn't happen for me tonight.

"I've had stuff for years and years in the elbow. Pretty consistent, same spot for the last couple of innings. It is what it is. We'll get it looked at, see what we're dealing with before we freak out, I guess."

Buehler earned All-Star honors in two of the last three seasons and entered 2022 as a Cy Young favorite. He started the year with a 4-1 record and a 1.96 ERA through his first six starts, but has a 2-2 record and 6.67 ERA in his last six.

The Dodgers began the season 19-7 and allowed just 2.3 runs per game over that 26-game stretch. Since then, Los Angeles is 18-14 and has allowed an average of 4.3 runs. Three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw started five games early in the season before landing on the injured list due to a pelvic injury. Kershaw is expected to make his return to the mound Saturday against the Giants.