A playoff pedigree that most pitchers would dream of, yet 2x World Series winner Walker Buehler will unexpectedly watch the San Diego Padres’ NLDS opener from the sidelines. The Padres choosing Robbie Ray over Buehler for Game 1 already hinted that something had changed behind the scenes. And now, MLB has officially approved the roster move, making the surprising omission a reality.

The numbers favor Ray: a 3.59 ERA this season. But Buehler’s postseason pedigree – 3.04 ERA, 114 strikeouts over 19 appearances tells a different story. In comparison, Ray has had 6 total postseason appearances, recording a 7.43 ERA. Padres manager Craig Stammen made it clear that Buehler’s October story is far from over.

“Walker will play a big role in this series at some point,” Stammen noted Friday.

While San Diego will indeed miss its playoff-tested arm in Game 1, the reason behind Buehler’s absence might make the unusual move much easier to understand.

“Today, MLB has approved the placement of Padres pitcher Walker Buehler on the Postseason Paternity List. During Buehler’s absence, pitcher Randy Vásquez will be an active member of San Diego’s NLDS roster. Buehler will be allowed to be away from the Club for a minimum of one day and a maximum of three days. Upon his return, Buehler will take Vásquez’s place on the Padres’ active roster,” MLB Communications shared via X.

The placement was planned, not an emergency decision.

The Padres placed Buehler on the MLB Postseason Paternity List on Saturday morning because his wife, McKenzie, is giving birth to their second child. While that’s certainly heartwarming, it is a major blow for his team before facing the 103-win Milwaukee Brewers.

Buehler was signed to pitch October baseball. His two World Series rings and 19 playoff appearances were supposed to anchor this run. Per Stammen, Buehler’s deep playoff pedigree makes him a focal point of their postseason strategy. So, not having that veteran presence on the mound for an away opener in Milwaukee removes a massive security blanket.

The Brewers are .245 against left-handed pitchers, while they are .264 against the righties in 2026. Moreover, the Brewers are slugging .033 worse against the lefties than the righties. Hence, starting with left-handed Ray could be a blessing in disguise.

Randy Vasquez is taken in place of Buehler on the roster. Michael King is expected to start Game 2. As Buehler’s leave will be a maximum of three days, he might return for Game 3. If not, then Vasquez will take over.

It’s going to be quite a risky move, especially since their 2020 NLDS works as a reminder.

Just like the current disruption with Buehler, the Padres lost their top front-line starters right before the 2020 NLDS, completely derailing their postseason run.

Dinelson Lamet was sidelined with a biceps injury, and Mike Clevinger was sidelined with a right elbow impingement. As a result, the Padres were forced to throw four consecutive bullpen games in the postseason.

The exhausted Padres pitching staff surrendered 12 runs and used a postseason-record 11 pitchers in Game 3 alone. San Diego was swept 3-0 in the series.

This time, too, the Padres’ bullpen is looking exhausted.

The Padres’ bullpen is again the key

In 2026, the Padres’ bullpen ranked as the fourth-most used in MLB during the regular season, throwing 683 2/3 innings due to starting rotation inconsistencies that averaged just 4 1/3 innings per start.

Entering the postseason, the key high-leverage arms like closer Mason Miller (37 saves), setup man Adrian Morejon (76 regular-season appearances), and rookie breakout Bradgley Rodriguez (68 appearances) were nearing career-high workloads.

Even the Wild Card series against the Chicago Cubs was no different.

While King’s 7.0 scoreless innings in Game 1 kept the Padres’ bullpen fresh, they were fully unleashed for 5 2/3 scoreless innings to secure the series win in Game 2.

Hence, the NLDS without Buehler will test the Padres’ bullpen again to its limits.