Dodgers promote Walker Buehler to majors

The Dodgers will promote top pitching prospect Walker Buehler to the majors this week, manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday. Buehler is expected to join the club Wednesday.

Buehler, who was taken with the 24th-overall pick in 2015, was ranked by Baseball America as the 17th-best prospect in all of baseball in July. He will likely take on a relief role for the first-place Dodgers, giving the team a high-octane arm in the late innings for the season’s final month (and potentially, the postseason).

Buehler owns a 3.35 ERA and 12.7 K/9 in 88.2 innings at Hi-A, Double-A and Triple-A this season, causing his stock to rise significantly since the beginning of the year. The former Vanderbilt righty underwent Tommy John surgery before making a professional pitch and had just five professional innings under his belt before this season.

Buehler is the second major prospect to be promoted to the Dodgers this week, as the team called up outfielder Alex Verdugo as well. Los Angeles was unwilling to discuss ether Buehler or Verdugo in trade talks for starting pitching this summer, instead deciding to deal Willie Calhoun to the Rangers in the Yu Darvish trade.