Padres welcome Walker Buehler back for NLDS after paternity-list stint

The Padres welcomed Walker Buehler back to the roster for the National League Division Series.Buehler was originally speculated to be the Game 1 starter for the Padres in the NLDS, but was placed on the paternity list ahead of the highly-anticipated matchup with the Brewers.Now that Buehler is with the team, he will likely slot into the Padres’ plans as the Game 4 starter with Nick Pivetta scheduled to start Game 3 Tuesday.The Padres took a chance on Buehler when the front office signed him to a minor league deal in the offseason.

He earned a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster and has remained a staple of the rotation this season.Buehler, who has plenty of postseason experience with a 3.04 career ERA in October, is poised to make his mark with the Padres in the NLDS against Milwaukee.Taking off Randy Vasquez was San Diego’s corresponding roster move for Buehler’s return.

The team essentially had no choice in removing Vasquez from the roster as Buehler had to take the place of the pitcher who originally replaced him on the roster, per MLB rules.The right-hander served as quite the workhorse for the team and had a hot start to the 2026 campaign.

The right-hander made 32 appearances (23 starts) for the Padres in the regular season, posting a 3.90 ERA across 140.2 innings.Vasquez didn’t pitch in the first two games of the series and he won’t return to the mound again this year unless the Padres advance to the NL Championship Series.

The Padres have their backs against the wall after dropping both games in Milwaukee, but return to an eager home crowd at Petco Park for the next two games of the NLDS....