Walker Buehler’s Shocking Comeback: Why the Padres Took a Gamble After His 2025 Meltdown

Walker Buehler — remember that name? Once a dazzling star on the grand stage of the World Series, he’s now stepping onto a new field, hoping to reignite that old spark . At 31, Buehler’s journey has taken quite the twist, as he inks a minor-league pact with the Padres — yep, a team that used to wear the badge of ‘rival.’ This isn’t just a contract; it’s a shot at redemption, a chance to claw back into the starting rotation during spring training, battling it out with a handful of talented pitchers like Triston McKenzie and Germán Márquez for what’s likely a single spot. It’s a full-circle moment for Buehler, who once dominated the NL West with the Dodgers before a tough setback in 2023 sidelined him— a second Tommy John surgery paused his momentum. Since then, it’s been a rollercoaster, with stints at the Red Sox and Phillies, bullpen demotions, and releases coloring his path. But let’s not forget the peak — an ace who owned 23+ starts in multiple seasons, a two-time top-10 Cy Young finisher, and the man who shut down the Yankees in ’24’s World Series Game 3 before sealing the deal in Game 5. No small feats by any stretch. Now, the Padres offer a fresh canvas for Buehler to paint his comeback story. It’s a narrative brimming with hope, grit, and that indefinable will to reset and rise again. LEARN MORE

Former World Series hero Walker Buehler is getting another chance to revive his MLB career — and this time, it’s with a former rival.

Buehler, 31, has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Padres, and he’ll get a chance to compete for a spot in their starting rotation throughout spring training, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Triston McKenzie, Matt Waldron, Germán Márquez, JP Sears and Marco Gonzales are all competing with Buehler for likely just one rotation spot with the Padres, according to the Union-Tribune.

Walker Buehler throws a pitch during a June 2025 game for the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

The deal marked a return to the NL West division where Buehler starred for the first seven seasons — not counting 2023, when he missed the entire campaign due to a second Tommy John surgery — with the Dodgers and won a pair of rings with them in 2020 and 2024.

Buehler, though, has mostly struggled since returning from the procedure, and in 2025, he didn’t even last the entire season with the Red Sox before getting demoted to their bullpen and then landing a minor-league deal with the Phillies ahead of the postseason.

He started just one game for Triple-A Lehigh Valley and appeared in three — while starting two — for the Phillies the rest of the season. Buehler finished with a 4.94 ERA across his stints with both teams in 2025.

“It’s obviously disappointing,” Buehler said after being demoted to the Red Sox’s bullpen. “It’s the first time in my career that I’ve been in a situation like that, but at the end of the day the organization and to a lesser extent myself, kind of think it’s probably the right thing for our group and it gives me an opportunity to kind of reset in some ways.”

Walker Buehler reacts during a June 2025 start for the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post

But at the peak of his career, Buehler was an ace for the Dodgers who topped 23 starts in a season three times and finished inside the top-10 for Cy Young voting twice.

During the Dodgers’ World Series run in 2024, Buehler threw five shutout innings against the Yankees in Game 3 before recording the final three outs in Game 5 to secure Los Angeles’ championship.

He also delivered a strong start for the Dodgers during Game 3 of the NLCS against the Mets.