struggling with a 4.02 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, both his highest since breaking into the major leagues full-time.

“I think throwing to feel healthy and to get healthy is a different deal than trying to be perfect and be something I was a year ago or something I was three years ago, whatever,” he said. “So I think just go and throw and try and be athletic for a while and kind of hope that that leads to that feeling I was kind of hunting for earlier.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects Buehler to return to the starting rotation and Buehler agreed “that’s the plan.” But he also acknowledged the possibility there won’t be time for him to fully build up as a starter. A relief role of some kind in the postseason is not out of the question.

“The last thing I want to do is go two innings on 40 pitches and have to come out of games,” Buehler said. “We’ve got a lot of guys coming back and we’re gonna have a lot of innings that (Danny) Duffy and Dustin May, guys that can provide length and we’ll see if Bobby Miller gets up here. We’ve got a lot of guys that are probably going to be around for the playoffs.

“If things don’t go perfectly and I end up being a guy that can help us get outs in the playoffs, that’s what I’ll be. I think that would be fun, too. I don’t think that’s the biggest letdown in the world. Take kind of a bird’s-eye view of this thing and I want to be healthy and contribute for a lot of years. And this year is obviously the most important. So I’m gonna do anything I can to get back and contribute as much as I can.”

Gremlin-itis

Dodgers third baseman/DH Justin Turner was not in the starting lineup Friday after leaving Thursday’s game with what he is describing as “a little gremlin in my rib cage.”

Turner said he felt the pain in the front of his rib cage while on deck for his at-bat in the fifth inning on Thursday.

“I felt it on deck and said, ‘Well, that’s weird. Whatever. It’ll probably go away,’ ” he said. “Swung. It didn’t really hurt but I felt it. Coming off the field, I went and told the trainers, ‘Hey, I got a little something going on in my rib cage.’ They did some work on it and, you know what, it’s not really worth going out there and making it worse, whatever it is.”

Turner said it doesn’t feel like a strained oblique or intercostal muscle.

“When I cough or sneeze I don’t feel it,” he said. “I’ve had an oblique. I’ve had intercostals. I’ve had all that stuff and I could barely breathe. So I don’t think it’s that. I just think it’s something minor, a little flare-up in there and in another day or two, I’ll be back good to go. It was more of a precaution.”

Roberts said he expects Turner to be out “two, three days before he’s back in the lineup.”

Treinen progresses

Reliever Blake Treinen was limited to throwing off of flat ground over the All-Star break but is expected to throw another bullpen session today. Treinen said he expects to repeat that once more with a simulated inning break and then throw to hitters in a live batting practice setting during the Dodgers’ four-game series in Colorado next week.

Roberts said the Dodgers still expect to have Treinen back in “mid to late August.”

“When he starts throwing to hitters, I think that will be a good barometer on his time of return,” Roberts said.

Also

May made his second rehab start on Friday night, lasting just two innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City. May allowed a run on three hits and three walks while striking out three. But he threw 49 pitches, barely half strikes (25) before being pulled. ... Brusdar Graterol has begun a throwing program. He played catch from 90 feet and had no discomfort in his shoulder. Graterol is eligible to come off the IL early next week but will likely need more time.