Walker Buehler has surgery to remove bone spurs in right elbow

With Walker Buehler already out more than a few months with a right flexor strain, the Dodgers right-hander is using the interim to take care of something he’s been dealing with for years. Buehler told reporters at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday that he had arthroscopic surgery on Monday to remove bone spurs in his right elbow.

The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Monday in Los Angeles.

“It’s something that I’ve dealt with for a long time. Given that rest and rehab was 10-12 weeks, and having the spur removed was 10-12 weeks,” Buehler told reporters on Tuesday. “As a group we just decided to just go ahead and get it done. It was something I was going to do in the offseason, probably. We’ve discussed it the past three years to get those out, but ended every year healthy, and haven’t had the necessity to do it.”

Buehler was placed on the injured list on Saturday, and isn’t expected to throw a baseball for at least six weeks, after which he will be reevaluated. On Tuesday, Buehler said his timetable for returning to the majors wasn’t affected by the elbow surgery.

Ten to twelve weeks from now would mean a Buehler return at some time between the last full week of August and the first full week of September, if all goes according to plan.

Perhaps the Dodgers will have a better idea of Buehler’s status closer to the August 2 trade deadline, by which they will need to decide which pitcher(s) to add to the rotation.