The Boston Red Sox, holding a 17-16 record as of May 2, 2025, are in a tight race in the AL East, trailing the New York Yankees by just two games for the division lead, per MLB.com. However, their pitching staff, which has delivered inconsistent results this season, now faces a challenge with the news that starting pitcher Walker Buehler has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, as reported by Ian Browne of MLB.com on May 2. Browne shared the update on X, writing, “Walker Buehler is going on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. Hunter Dobbins all but certain to take his spot. Alex Cora feels Buehler’s stint on the IL will be minimal.”
Buehler, who signed with the Red Sox in the 2024 offseason after nine years with the Dodgers, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, has been a key part of Boston’s rotation despite not fully recapturing the ace-level form he displayed before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2022, which sidelined him for nearly two years, per Baseball-Reference. In 2025, the 30-year-old right-hander has a 4-1 record in six starts, leading the Red Sox in wins, with 33.2 innings pitched, 29 strikeouts, and 9 walks, alongside a 4.28 ERA, per MLB.com. While his ERA is pedestrian compared to his 2021 peak with the Dodgers—when he posted a 2.47 ERA and 0.97 WHIP, per FanGraphs—Buehler remains one of the league’s most talented pitchers when at his best, with a career 3.22 ERA and 5.81 strikeout-to-walk ratio, per Baseball-Reference.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed optimism about the injury, suggesting Buehler’s absence will be brief, which is a positive sign for a team aiming to stay competitive in a tough division, per Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. Buehler’s history of shoulder issues, including a 2022 stint on the IL with a flexor strain, per DodgersNation.com, adds context to the current injury, but the team is hopeful the Grade 1 inflammation diagnosis—typically requiring 2-4 weeks of rest, per WebMD—won’t derail his season. Buehler’s absence comes at a time when the Red Sox rotation has struggled for consistency, ranking 14th in the AL with a 4.12 ERA through May 2, per ESPN, with Tanner Houck (3.88 ERA) and Kutter Crawford (4.03 ERA) also posting middling numbers, per MLB.com.
Stepping into Buehler’s spot is 25-year-old Hunter Dobbins, a right-hander who has shown promise in limited action this season. Dobbins, a 2021 fifth-round pick by the Red Sox out of Texas Tech, per MiLB.com, has made two starts in 2025, earning a win in each with a 2.45 ERA over 11 innings, striking out 11 and walking just 2, per Baseball-Reference. His control and ability to limit baserunners—evidenced by a 0.91 WHIP in those outings, per MLB.com—suggest he can hold the fort. Dobbins spent most of 2024 in Triple-A Worcester, where he posted a 3.67 ERA over 22 starts, per MiLB.com, and his call-up aligns with recent roster moves, including the Red Sox activating reliever Justin Slaten from the IL, per MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith.
The Red Sox are set to face the Minnesota Twins on May 3, with Dobbins likely to start in Buehler’s place, per a prediction by ClutchPoints’s Joey Mistretta, who notes Boston’s pitching depth will be tested. The team’s early season has been a mix of highs—like a 5-2 win over the Rangers on April 30, per Globe Life Field box scores—and lows, including a recent loss to the Blue Jays where Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s clutch homer stunned fans, per Sportsnet.ca. As Boston looks to maintain its position in the AL East, where the Yankees (19-14) and Orioles (16-15) are also in contention, per ESPN, Dobbins’ ability to step up and Cora’s confidence in Buehler’s quick return offer hope that the Red Sox can weather this setback and push for a playoff spot.
