Major League Baseball announced Saturday that San Diego Padres right-hander Walker Buehler has been placed on the postseason paternity list.
During the two-time All-Star’s absence, right-hander Randy Vasquez will be on the active roster for the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Buehler, 32, is permitted to be away from the Padres for one to three days. Upon his return, he will replace Vazquez on the NLDS roster.
Game 1 of the best-of-five series is in Milwaukee on Saturday night, which would have been Buehler’s turn in the rotation. He held the Brewers to one run on three hits in six innings in an 11-2 victory in San Diego on Aug. 11.
Game 2 is Sunday in Milwaukee. The earliest Buehler can pitch is Game 3 when the series shifts to San Diego on Tuesday night.
Left-hander Robbie Ray is the Padres’ scheduled starter for Game 1, followed by right-hander Michael King for Game 2.
Ray will be opposed by hard-throwing right-hander Jacob Misiorowski (16-5, 1.80 ERA), who leads the majors in ERA and strikeouts (252 in 174 2/3 innings).
Buehler’s wife, McKenzie, is expected to give birth to their second child on Saturday, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Their daughter, Finley, was born in January 2024.
Buehler was 9-6 with a 4.63 ERA in 32 starts in his first season with the Padres. A two-time World Series champion with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Buehler did not pitch in the NL wild-card sweep against the Chicago Cubs.
He is 4-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 19 appearances (18 starts) in the postseason.
Vasquez, 27, was 10-6 with a 3.90 ERA in 32 games (23 starts) this season for San Diego.
