Buehler returns to Padres’ NLDS roster; Pivetta still starts Game 3

The Padres returned Walker Buehler from the paternity list Monday, restoring the right-hander to their active National League Division Series roster. He replaces Randy Vásquez, reversing the temporary change San Diego made at the start of the series.

The club confirmed the move in its October 5 announcement.

Buehler missed the first two games in Milwaukee. His return comes as the series shifts to San Diego, with the Padres needing a win Tuesday to extend it.

Nick Pivetta is the announced starter for Game 3, scheduled for 9:30 p.m. Eastern on FS1, FOX Deportes and FOX One. Buehler’s reinstatement does not change that assignment. MLB.com says he could be in line for Game 4 if the Padres keep the series alive; that remains a possibility rather than a confirmed start.

RotoWire’s Monday report also identifies Buehler as a candidate for the following game. The roster move makes that option available again, after San Diego began the NLDS with Vásquez filling his place.

Buehler made 32 regular-season starts with a 4.63 ERA. RotoWire lists 131 strikeouts and 57 walks across 153 2/3 innings. MLB.com notes that his performance improved after the All-Star break, when he posted a 3.62 ERA over 13 starts.

His postseason experience gives the Padres another consideration beyond those regular-season numbers. Buehler has a 3.04 ERA across 19 postseason appearances, including the ninth inning that closed the Dodgers’ 2024 World Series victory at Yankee Stadium.

That history does not decide his role this week. The immediate sequence is straightforward: Pivetta starts the elimination game, and a Padres victory would create the next starting assignment. Buehler is back on the roster for San Diego to make that choice.

This is the confirmed follow-up to his departure on paternity leave. Vásquez did not pitch in either of the first two games, and his temporary place on the active roster now ends.