SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have agreed to a minor-league deal with former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler, adding the two-time Tommy John surgery survivor to an already crowded spring training rotation competition.
Buehler, 31, was once one of the top arms in the National League, posting a 3.02 ERA across his first six seasons (2017–2022) with the Dodgers. Since returning from his second Tommy John procedure in August 2022, the results have been a different story.
The Fall From Ace
His strikeout rate has plummeted from 27% to 17.2%. His walk rate has ballooned from 6.3% to 9.8%. The fastball velocity that once made him dominant has not returned to pre-surgery levels.
| Season | Team | ERA | IP | Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–2022 | LAD | 3.02 | 724+ | 114 |
| 2024 | LAD | 5.38 | 75.1 | 16 |
| 2025 | BOS / PHI | 5.45 / 0.66 | 112.1 / 13.2 | 22 / 2 |
October Pedigree
What Buehler still has: a postseason track record. In the 2024 playoffs, he threw five shutout innings in Game 3 of the World Series and recorded the final three outs of the Dodgers’ championship in Game 5, retiring all three batters he faced. That October run is part of why teams remain interested despite the regular-season decline.
Crowded Competition
Buehler joins Matt Waldron, Triston McKenzie, Germán Márquez, and left-handers JP Sears and Marco Gonzales in a battle for what the Padres have indicated is likely one available rotation spot. The minor-league deal means low risk for San Diego, with a spring training invite to prove he belongs.
One wrinkle: Buehler is 7-1 with a 1.67 ERA in 13 career starts against the Padres. He’ll be hoping that familiarity with NL West hitters works in his favor from the other dugout.
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
