San Diego Padres starter Walker Buehler will become a dad for the second time this weekend, and that’s good news for him and his family, but not so great for the Padres who have their hands full trying to beat the 103-win Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Series starting Saturday. Buehler is at least temporarily off the San Diego roster after heading to an MLB-approved paternity leave Saturday morning.
The move strips San Diego of the one starter who already shut down Milwaukee this season, with Game 1 at American Family Field arriving Saturday night.
Buehler’s wife, McKenzie, is expected to give birth to the couple’s second child Saturday, according to San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee. Saturday was Buehler’s turn in the rotation, and Acee reported he almost certainly would have started the opener. Randy Vásquez takes his roster spot, and left-hander Robbie Ray gets the Game 1 ball.
In August at Petco Park, Buehler held Milwaukee to one run on three hits across six innings in an 11-2 Padres win.
San Diego Padres Await Walker Buehler’s Return Timeline
A player can stay on the paternity list a maximum of three days, Acee reported. With Monday off after Sunday’s Game 2, Buehler’s earliest activation is Tuesday before Game 3 at Petco Park.
Manager Craig Stammen, however, has named Michael King for Game 2, with Nick Pivetta lined up for Game 3. Buehler, who last pitched Sept. 26, is a candidate for a Game 4 start or long relief, according to MLB.com.
“Walker will play a big role in this series at some point. I don’t know when that is. But he’s got such a playoff pedigree that it will be hard for us to leave him out,” Stammen said, according to Sports Illustrated.
Buehler, 32, pitched at Vanderbilt before the Los Angeles Dodgers drafted him 24th overall in 2015. San Diego signed him to a minor-league deal Feb. 17 and selected his contract March 25. He is a two-time World Series champion who recorded the first save of his career to close the 2024 clincher for the Dodgers over the New York Yankees, according to Sports Illustrated.
He went 9-6 with a 4.63 ERA this season and owns a career mark of 66-35 with a 3.69 ERA.
In the playoffs, he is 4-4 with a 3.04 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings, according to StatMuse. He did not pitch in the Wild Card Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs.
| SAN DIEGO PADRES — 2026 NLDS ROSTER |
|---|
| Presented by Booking.com • “Fight for the Faithful” |
| PITCHERS |
|---|
| Jason Adam |
| Michael King |
| Yuki Matsui |
| Mason Miller |
| Adrian Morejón |
| David Morgan |
| Joe Musgrove |
| Nick Pivetta |
| Robbie Ray |
| Bradgley Rodriguez |
| Randy Vásquez |
| CATCHERS |
|---|
| Luis Campusano |
| Freddy Fermin |
| Ethan Salas |
| INFIELDERS |
|---|
| Miguel Andujar |
| Xander Bogaerts |
| Jake Cronenworth |
| Ty France |
| Manny Machado |
| Gavin Sheets |
| OUTFIELDERS |
|---|
| Jase Bowen |
| Dustin Harris |
| Austin Hays |
| Jackson Merrill |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. |
| Samad Taylor |
| 2026 NLDS roster, San Diego Padres. |
San Diego Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers Without Buehler
Milwaukee finished 103-59 and went 55-26 at home. San Diego went 91-71 and 40-41 on the road. But the Padres won the season series 4-2.
Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA) opens for the Brewers against Ray, who went 13-8 with a 3.59 ERA but posted a 5.02 ERA in nine starts after joining San Diego in a deadline trade with the San Francisco Giants.
Stammen cited the lefty matchup. Milwaukee ranked first in baseball against right-handers by wRC+ and 13th against left-handers, according to MLB.com.
San Diego allowed one run in sweeping Chicago, and closer Mason Miller carries a 1.67 ERA. The Padres went 34-14 when they hit at least two home runs. Milwaukee’s .259 team batting average led MLB. Since Aug. 1, both clubs have won 35 games. If Buehler is activated Tuesday, he becomes an option at Petco Park.
Padres Lose Scheduled Game 1 Starting Pitcher Before Brewers NLDS Opener