Walker Buehler, who signed with the Phillies on Aug. 31, made his organizational debut on Saturday with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Facing the Toledo Mud Hens, the Tigers' Triple-A affiliate, the veteran right-hander pitched three innings, leaving with a pitch count of 78 (47 strikes) on the night. He allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits (1 HR) with three walks and five strikeouts.
Command remained an issue for Buehler, who was released by the Red Sox on Aug. 29 after a rocky first season in the American League. In 23 appearances (22 starts) with Boston, his 4.4 walks per nine marked a career-worst, as did his 6.7 K/9.
Buehler was expected to need one tune-up start in the Minors before joining the Phillies. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said before Buehler's Triple-A outing that the veteran right-hander would likely make his first start on Sept. 12 against the Royals, with the Phillies transitioning to a six-man rotation to allow all their starters extra rest ahead of the postseason.