The San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs in two games in the wild-card round, allowing them to rely on starting pitcher Michael King in Game 1 and their bullpen in Game 2.

That meant right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler, who made 32 starts for the Padres this season, didn't need to pitch.

On Friday, one day before the start of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Padres named Robbie Ray their Game 1 starting pitcher.

Manager Craig Stammen later confirmed King would start Game 2. That would seemingly line up Nick Pivetta to start Game 3.

So where does that leave Buehler?

"Walker will play a big role in this series at some point," Stammen said on Friday. "I don't know when that is. But he's got such a playoff pedigree that it will be hard for us to leave him out and not give him a chance to put his mark on the series."

Buehler has more postseason experience than anyone on the Padres staff, as he's pitched in 19 playoff games (all for the Los Angeles Dodgers), and even closed out the 2024 World Series in epic fashion.

The two-time World Series champion has a career 3.04 postseason ERA over 94.2 innings. And yet, he hasn't been unleashed yet.

Buehler would seemingly be an option out of the bullpen on a different team. However, the Padres already have one of baseball's best relief staffs, and don't need to waste Buehler in that setting.

Of course, if Ray struggles in Game 1, the Padres could rely on Buehler to take down multiple innings. Or, the Padres could then turn to Buehler in a potential Game 4, with King lined up to start a potential win-or-go-home Game 5.

Buehler made 32 starts this season, compiling a 4.63 ERA with 131 strikeouts over 153.2 innings. He was better in the second half, though, finishing with a 3.62 ERA over his final 13 starts.

The veteran right-hander faced the Brewers on Aug. 11, pitching six innings of one-run ball in a dominant 11-2 win for the Padres. Ray faced the Brewers a day later, allowing two runs over four innings of work.

Why is Robbie Ray Starting Game 1 Over Walker Buehler?

Stammen was asked for his rationale behind starting Ray, who had a 5.02 ERA over nine starts with the Padres after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline.

"Just trust his veteran presence, experience pitching the playoffs," Stammen said. "I think he's going to do well against this lineup. As far as how far he goes or how long, he'll determine a lot of that, how well he pitches. And we know with Robbie, he can be erratic at times. If he's throwing strikes I feel good about Robbie being in there."

That means for now, Buehler will wait his turn. Whether or not he gets an opportunity to pitch in this series is likely dependent on how Ray, King and Pivetta perform in the first three games of the series.

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