Dodgers 1st-round pick Walker Buehler to have Tommy John surgery Wednesday

LOS ANGELES -- As expected, Dodgers 2015 first-round draft pick Walker Buehler will have Tommy John surgery on Wednesday in Los Angeles, pushing back his professional debut until some time in 2017.

Buehler will undergo the UCL reconstruction procedure in his right elbow on Wednesday, performed by Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. The recovery time is expected to be 12-18 months.

Buehler, who turned 21 last Tuesday, was 5-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 16 starts for Vanderbilt as a junior in 2015, with 92 strikeouts and 30 walks in 88 innings, helping the Commodores to the College World Series final. The elbow injury came up during negotiations, evidenced by his $1.78 million signing bonus, well under the $2,094,400 allotted slot value for the No. 24 overall pick.

Dodgers general manager Farhan Zaidi met with reporters on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

Asked #Dodgers GM Zaidi if any buyer's remorse drafting Buehler: "None at all. We're playing the long game" weren't counting on him for 2016

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 4, 2015

Wheels up to LA! Time to get this show on the road

— Walker Buehler (@buehlersdayoff) August 3, 2015