San Diego Padres starting pitcher Walker Buehler will miss some of the NLDS after moving to the Postseason Paternity List on Saturday. Padres right-hander Randy Vasquez will take Buehler's place on the roster until his return. Buehler will miss one to three days on the Postseason Paternity List, which shouldn't be much of an issue as he isn't starting in either of the first two games of the series.The right-hander made 32 starts for the Padres this season—the second-highest total of his career—and had a 4.63 ERA through 153.2 innings pitched.
The nine-year veteran has made two All-Star appearances under his belt, both coming with the Los Angeles Dodgers during his seven-year tenure in Los Angeles, and brings plenty of postseason experience to the team. He has made 19 postseason starts in his career, posting a 3.04 ERA and winning two World Series in his career. Vasquez, a four-year veteran, made 32 appearances for the Padres this season, with nine of those coming out of the bullpen.
He threw a career-high 140.2 innings pitched, and finished with an ERA under 4.00 for the second consecutive season. He struck out 87 batters, another career high, and could make a key relief appearance for the Padres in the next two games should they need it. Despite his four-year MLB tenure with the New York Yankees and Padres, Vasquez has never pitched in the postseason.
The Padres have announced their starters for the first two games of the NLDS, with Robbie Ray taking the ball for the first game of the series followed by Michael King in Game 2. Ray hasn't pitched this postseason, but made nine appearances for the Padres after joining the team at the trade deadline. He had a 5.02 ERA, striking out 33 batters in 43 innings pitched.
King had a healthy season following an injury-abbreviated year in 2026, making 32 starts on the year with a 3.21 ERA. He struck out 159 batters on the year, and got off to an electric start this postseason. He threw seven one-hit innings against the Chicago Cubs in the first game of the Wild Card Series, striking out eight, and lowering his career postseason ERA to 2.05.
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