3 Padres Players Who Need Solid Starts to Retain Roster Spots

There are several San Diego Padres players on the Opening Day roster who will need to have solid starts to the season in order to retain their spot.

Miguel Andujar, Walker Buehler and Luis Campusano don't have a secure roster spot and will have to perform up to expectations.

1. Miguel Andujar

The Padres signed Andujar to a one-year, $4 million deal this offseason. The contract was considered one of president of baseball operations A.J. Preller's best under-the-radar moves as Andujar is a veteran bat that should give the Padres more pop in the bottom of their lineup.

Against lefties, the veteran hit .389 with a .986 OPS across 93 plate appearances last season. Andujar figures to feature in the Padres lineup as a designated hitter, which means he will have to perform in those limited at-bats against left-handed starters.

Andujar also spent time at first base, third base and left field last season, thus his versatility helps his chances of remaining on the roster throughout the year. Nevertheless, his value is his bat, so Andujar must perform as expected to maintain an option for the Padres all season.

2. Walker Buehler

As for Buehler, he joined the Padres on a minor league deal this offseason. The veteran battled for one of two available spots in the starting rotation this spring, the second of which opened after Joe Musgrove's setback.

The right-hander will be in the Opening Day rotation, but that doesn't mean he will remain there for the entirety of the 2026 campaign. Buehler has yet to reclaim his All-Star form since returning from Tommy John surgery.

In 2024, Buehler sported a 5.38 ERA as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. He followed that up with a 4.93 mark in 2025 across the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies. He was released by the Red Sox in August after sporting a 5.45 ERA across 112.1 innings.

There's no telling how consistent Buehler will be this year, but pitching coach Ruben Niebla spent the spring helping the right-hander make mechanical changes and tweaks to his arsenal.

“He bought into our philosophy and just kind of the overall holistic approach of making him a better pitcher,” manager Craig Stammen said of Buehler. “Him buying into that so quickly, then seeing success with it over the last couple starts — it made us feel really comfortable with putting him on the team."

3. Luis Campusano

Campusano is currently the Padres' backup catcher, standing behind Freddy Fermin on the depth chart. The 27-year-old hit .206 with a .572 OPS in Cactus League play this spring.

The 2026 season will likely be Campusano's last chance at maintaining a regular roster spot. Last year, the former top prospect didn't record a hit in 21 major league at-bats.

That number will have to drastically change as the Padres will be giving Fermin plenty of days off throughout the season. If an injury does occur, the Friars will have to feel confident enough in Campusano's abilities to be in the lineup everyday.

Depending on Campusano's performance, the Padres could look for external options to address catcher depth. The New York Mets released veteran catcher Austin Barnes, which would give the Padres an experienced everyday catcher.

The Padres want Campusano to work out. He's running out of time to make it happen, though.