Walker Buehler's Roster Spot With Padres Could Suddenly Be in Jeopardy

The San Diego Padres took a chance on Walker Buehler this offseason. Likewise, he did the same with them.

The Padres signed Buehler to a minor league deal in the winter, but he also had big league offers. Why did he choose to join San Diego, then?

“I wanted to play in the playoffs and go to a place that has a chance to win,” Buehler said. “That coupled with the individual stuff and contract terms and all that kind of stuff, it’s kind of a little two-way calculus you’ve got to do. At the end of day, this was the opportunity that I was most excited about, and I’m happy that it worked out.”

Both the Padres and Buehler would benefit from this working out as president of baseball operations A.J. Preller would be credited with another savvy under-the-radar move if the right-hander blossomed back into an All-Star.

The 31-year-old understood his value was beyond making the Opening Day roster. He needed to flourish in order to retain a spot on the roster. His success in 2026 would also prove that he still the same pitcher that he was before his second Tommy John surgery in 2022.

“Everybody wants to play in the big leagues,” Buehler said ahead of the season. “I’ve played long enough that going to the minor leagues is not probably something that I would do. To put in an offseason like I did and move the family out here and get in better shape and do a lot of that kind of stuff, it’s super rewarding to kind of achieve the goal.

"But at the end of day, I still want to go out and have a good year. I think that’s obviously more important than anything else.”

Walker Buehler's Roster Spot Suddenly Could Be in Jeopardy

Two starts into the season and Buehler's tenure with the Padres could find itself short-lived.

Buehler allowed three runs over four innings in his debut against the San Francisco Giants. He then struggled in his second start against the Boston Red Sox over the weekend.

Buehler was scoreless through the first two innings against Boston, but what transpired after was the same as his season debut. The right-hander's outing completely unraveled and Buehler lasted just 2.2 innings.

Buehler began the third inning with two walks, both of which scored. By the time Buehler left the mound, Boston had a 3-0 lead. Despite the short outing, the right-hander had a positive attitude when he spoke to reporters after the game.

“I think we’re really on a pretty good path, the right track,” Buehler said. “The third inning, some of the new stuff we’re working on, it just wasn’t there.”

Pitching coach Ruben Niebla has implemented a new arm and angle delivery for Buehler as the two navigate how to aid the right-hander in pitching more effectively, especially with his fastball.

“By nature of doing new stuff for three or four days, I can hold it for a [while], and then it goes away,” Buehler said. “It’s just getting the new stuff into the throw. … I feel good about the first two innings. So net positive, I guess.”

The former All-Star has allowed seven earned run in 6.2 innings. His efficiency isn't there and it's hard to imagine the Padres putting him on the mound every fifth day if this trend continues.

Matt Waldron is close to returning with Griffin Canning and Joe Musgrove looking to follow sometime after. There simply may not be room Buehler in the rotation if he can't turn a corner.

Buehler and right-hander Germán Márquez are seemingly pitching for their spots on the roster every time out. Márquez had a strong outing on Monday, pitching five shutout innings with four strikeouts in the Padres' 5-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

What a much-needed solid start from Germán Márquez (with a little help from bad Pirates base running in the 2nd):

5 IP
6 H
0 ER
1 BB
4 K

Padres lead 3-0 as Márquez did his job today🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/1yuz8c9Zaf
— Padres On SI (@PadresOnSI) April 7, 2026

Another bad outing from Buehler could force the Padres into a difficult decision early in the 2026 season.