Buehler's Struggles Threaten Padres Rotation

0:00On April 7th, the San Diego Padres rolled the dice on Walker Bueller with a minor league deal this off season, even though the 31-year-old had. Big League offers on the table. He picks San Diego anyway, betting on a fresh start after his second time of John's surgery back in 2022. Both sides hoped it'd pay off big, with the team getting back an all-star arm and Bueller locking in a roster spot. Fast forward to now, and just two starts in, Boiler's already on thin ice. He gave up three runs over four innings in his debut against the Giants, then things fell apart, worse versus the Red Sox. Scoreless through two, but he walked the first two guys in the third, both came around to score, and he was out after two and two thirds innings with. Boston up, three nothing. Boiler stayed up beat after, saying they're on the right track, despite some new tweaks not clicking yet. Pitching coach Rubenny Blay is working with him on a fresh arm angle and delivery to boost that fastball, but so far, he's allowed seven earned runs in six and two thirds innings

1:02total. Efficiency's missing, and that's a problem for a guy fighting to stick around. Meanwhile, the rotation's getting crowded quick. Matt Waldron's almost back, with Griffin Canning and Joe Musgrove right behind. German Marquez just fired five shutout innings with four strikeouts against the Pirates on Monday, putting more heat on Boiler to perform, or pack his, bags. The Boiler doesn't turn it around next time out. The Padres might have to make a tough call early in 2026, shaking up their staff before. The real grind even hits. Stay tuned with MLB News Today, AI-powered updates.