Walker Buehler Seeks Return To Form As He Begins Season In Padres' Starting Rotation

PEORIA, Ariz. — Yes, Walker Buehler is connected his 3rd squad since closing retired the 2024 World Series for nan Dodgers pinch a flourish, striking retired nan last 2 batters he faced and punctuating nan past retired by spreading his arms wide successful triumph.

But aft signing pinch nan San Diego Padres on a insignificant convention deal past period and past breaking campy pinch them, will it beryllium unusual for Buehler to beryllium successful nan aforesaid section arsenic nan squad pinch which he won 2 World Series?

“We’ll see,” Buehler said earlier this period astatine nan Padres’ outpouring training complex. “Obviously, erstwhile we get into nan season, we’ll cognize more. But yeah, I mean, mostly nan guys that I came up pinch aren’t location anymore, but evidently I played pinch a batch of those guys and had a batch of nosy successful ’24 pinch a ton of them, truthful ever happy to spot them person success, but now it’s a small spot different situation.”

Coming disconnected a disappointing 2025 successful which he logged a 4.93 ERA betwixt stints pinch nan Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, nan 31-year-old Buehler did capable to gain a spot successful a pitching rotation entering nan play pinch respective mobility marks.

Yu Darvish will miss nan play aft undergoing elbow surgery, and is connected nan restricted database while he contemplates his future. Dylan Cease signed a seven-year, $210-million woody pinch nan Toronto Blue Jays. Joe Musgrove is still moving his measurement backmost from Tommy John surgery.

The Padres are hoping Buehler, who posted a 3.09 ERA crossed 11 2/3 innings successful his first 3 Cactus League starts, tin show a return to shape arsenic he slots successful arsenic nan team’s 4th starter. (He did struggle successful his last outpouring training start, giving up 7 runs and 11 hits successful 3 1/3 innings against nan Arizona Diamondbacks past week.)

“Not my best,” Buehler said. “But astatine nan extremity of nan day, we’re trying to get retired of present patient and emotion bully astir yourself. ... I consciousness for illustration I’m successful a amended spot than I had been successful a agelong clip and a batch of spot successful nan process of really we do things astir here.”

He is scheduled to transportation Monday against nan San Francisco Giants astatine Petco Park.

“Our dream is that he benignant of returns to who he’s been successful nan past,” Padres head Craig Stammen said. “And that we person personification that was a erstwhile All-Star pitcher, personification that was a thorn successful our broadside arsenic nan Padres, and becomes a thorn successful nan broadside for different people.”

The Padres weren’t nan only squad to scope retired to Buehler. Returning to Philadelphia, wherever he rounded retired nan 2025 season, was besides an option.

“Yeah, it conscionable wasn’t arsenic intriguing aliases benignant of arsenic bully an action for maine personally,” Buehler said. “Obviously, I enjoyed my clip there, and I really respect a batch of those guys.”

For Buehler, a return to Southern California made nan astir sense.

“We felt successful nan conversations [that] location was an opportunity to travel successful and transportation well, and hopefully get a spot successful nan rotation, and I consciousness for illustration I’ve done that for nan astir part,” Buehler said. “Obviously, we person a batch of talent and playoff expectations, and things for illustration that, truthful benignant of a bully fresh for maine successful some ways.”

Buehler, who still boasts a seven-pitch mix, has worked good pinch Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, according to Stammen.

“He came successful and was unfastened to caller ideas, unfastened to Ruben’s coaching, and what we thought would make him nan champion pitcher he tin be,” Stammen said. “And he’s taken immoderate of those things, brought them into games and we’ve seen nan occurrence from that. And so, seeing nan buy-in, and past nan results connected nan backmost extremity of that, person benignant of fixed america a beautiful hopeful emotion of him having a successful play this year.”

As a Dodger, Buehler had his 2nd Tommy John room successful August 2022 and didn’t return to action until May 2024. After struggling successful his comeback while navigating a hep injury, Buehler stepped up successful nan postseason and sounded 5 scoreless innings to get nan triumph successful Game 3 of nan World Series earlier coming backmost connected 1 time of remainder to grounds his first profession prevention successful nan clinching Game 5. Weeks later, he became a free agent, signing a one-year, $21.05-million statement pinch nan Boston Red Sox. According to Buehler, he still felt elbow symptom each of past season.

“[It wasn’t until] astir early [this] spring,” Buehler said. “Kind of correct earlier I signed, things were benignant of trending successful a bully guidance and it feels a batch amended than successful nan past.”

As for goals this season?

“Try and beryllium healthy,” Buehler said, “and make arsenic galore starts arsenic they request maine to, and conscionable amended and benignant of get backmost person to what I utilized to be.”