Red Sox's Walker Buehler Has Cryptic Response To Injury Question After Latest Blow-Up

One of the most painful things in professional sports is watching an athlete who used to be a master at their craft struggle to perform at even a replacement level.

That's been the case with Walker Buehler of the Boston Red Sox. Formerly a two-time All-Star and World Series hero with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Buehler has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball this season, especially since his return from the injured list a month ago.

Buehler has made seven starts since his stint on the IL due to right shoulder bursitis. He has allowed 28 earned runs in 29 1/3 innings (8.59 ERA), with 20 walks, six hit-by-pitches, and eight runs allowed. His season ERA now sits at 6.27.

It's natural to wonder whether Buehler is pitching through some sort of injury, whether it's lingering shoulder soreness or something new entirely. And after Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels, which started as badly as any start can, Buehler did nothing to dissolve the mystery.

After the loss, in which Buehler set a new career-high with seven walks, MassLive's Sean McAdam got drastically different responses on Buehler's health from manager Alex Cora and the pitcher himself. The following is an excerpt from McAdam's postgame story:

"When Cora was questioned whether he was convinced that Buehler was healthy, he responded without hesitation: 'One hundred percent.'

"But minutes later, when Buehler was asked whether he was pitching through anything physically, he cryptically answered: 'I don’t want to talk about that.'"

Whether or not it turns out that Buehler was dealing with some sort of injury, it's extremely fair to wonder whether or not he'll eventually lose his spot in the rotation. If it's not another stint on the IL, it might soon be a demotion to the bullpen.

That's a tough pill to swallow after the Red Sox gave Buehler a $21 million contract. And he's said all the right things after getting that contract, both after wins and losses.

At some point, though, performance on the mound is all that counts.