Padres Turn to Robbie Ray for NLDS Game 1 Start as Walker Buehler Goes on Paternity List

The San Diego Padres will send left-hander Robbie Ray to the mound for Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers after Walker Buehler was placed on the paternity list, manager Craig Stammen confirmed Saturday.

Buehler was added to the paternity list hours before the scheduled first pitch at American Family Field, allowing him to remain in San Diego for the birth of his child. The move opened a roster spot for Dominican right-hander Randy Vásquez, who joins the Padres for the best-of-five series.

Por que importa

The decision keeps Buehler from having to balance a potential delivery date with a high-stakes postseason start.

“I think we didn’t want Walker to have to pitch on a possible day of his child’s birth and miss that,” Stammen said before the game. “It made sense for him to stay in San Diego and let that happen, without having to worry about pitching and both things happening at the same time.”

Buehler, a two-time World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers (2020, 2024), posted a 9-6 record with a 4.63 ERA across 32 regular-season starts in 2025. He last pitched on September 26, finishing September with a 1-0 record and a 4.43 ERA over 22 1/3 innings. He did not appear in the Padres’ Wild Card Series sweep of the Chicago Cubs.

Ray, winner of the American League Cy Young Award in 2021 with Toronto, compiled a 13-8 record and a 3.59 ERA in 31 combined appearances for San Francisco and San Diego during the regular season. He last pitched on September 23, posting a 2-1 record with a 7.56 ERA over 16 2/3 innings in September. Ray also did not pitch in the Wild Card Series.

Key facts

The paternity list allows Buehler to miss a minimum of one day and a maximum of three. The Padres will reassess his availability for the remainder of the series depending on when the birth occurs.

“It’s an exciting time for him and his wife, who are going to have a baby this weekend,” Stammen said. “It just happens to be during the division series, which is exciting. We don’t have any news yet on what’s happening, but it could happen at any moment.”

Why this matters for Padres fans

For San Diego supporters, the pitching rotation for a short series carries enormous weight. Buehler’s postseason pedigree — he has started multiple playoff games for the Dodgers and owns two World Series rings — made him a logical candidate for Game 1. His absence shifts responsibility to Ray, who has been inconsistent since joining the Padres at the trade deadline but has shown flashes of his Cy Young form.

The Brewers, who won the NL Central, boast one of the league’s deepest lineups. Milwaukee hitters posted a .765 OPS against left-handed pitching during the regular season, making the Ray matchup a critical early test for Stammen’s staff.

Randy Vásquez, 26, provides bullpen depth and swingman flexibility. He appeared in 28 games (12 starts) for San Diego in 2025, posting a 4.12 ERA. If Buehler returns later in the series, Vásquez could remain as a long-relief option.

Stammen’s handling of the rotation will be under scrutiny throughout the series. The decision to start Ray rather than push another arm into Game 1 suggests the Padres are prioritizing Buehler’s family situation while keeping their postseason plan intact.

Source: Clarin Deportes — Situación familiar de Buehler lleva a la loma a Ray por Padres en 1er juego de serie divisional (https://www.clarin.com/estados-unidos/situacion-familiar-de-buehler-lleva-a-la-loma-a-ray-por-padres-en-1er-juego-de-serie-divisional_0_zGaC9tfNhz.html)