Boston Red Sox Move Starter Walker Buehler to Bullpen

Walker Buehler is a proven commodity, but the 2025 season has been tough sledding for the right-handed starting pitcher, and the Boston Red Sox have taken action.

“He’s [Buehler] going to go to the bullpen,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said on Friday about Buehler, according to NESN. “I talked to him last night, [Chief Baseball Officer] Craig Breslow did, too. That’s his new role. We’ll figure out how it goes. Maybe one inning, multiple innings. Whatever it is, we don’t know yet. He’s not in the bullpen today because he just pitched three days ago, but whenever he’s ready, he’ll be there, and I know he’s going to help us out. … Hopefully, he can reset, go out there, find the strike zone, simplify the attack and help us win ball games.”

Cora said that Buehler took the news “professionally” and expressed he “still” believes in the 31-year-old hurler, who’s “a big part” of what the Red Sox are trying to accomplish.

Boston signed Buehler to a one-year, $21.1 million deal in December. Across 22 starts, Buehler has posted a 5.40 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 82 strikeouts in 110.0 innings pitched. He missed roughly one month earlier in the season due to a shoulder injury.

Boston’s rotation has been a mixed bag, as offseason pickup Garrett Crochet (2.43 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 196 strikeouts) has been exceptional, and Brayan Bello (3.23 ERA) and Lucas Giolito (3.72 ERA) have held their own. At the same time, Buehler’s struggles and a revolving door in the back of their starting rotation are enough for the starting staff to enter Friday with an average ERA of 3.97, good for 16th in MLB.

Prior to signing with the Red Sox, Buehler shined with the Los Angeles Dodgers, finishing as a finalist for the 2018 National League Rookie of the Year Award. From 2018-21, Buehler posted a combined 2.82 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 146 ERA+, while earning two All-Star nods. During the team’s 2020 postseason, which ended with the Dodgers winning the World Series, Buehler posted a 1.80 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 25.0 innings pitched (five starts).

Then, a 2022 elbow injury kept Buehler off an MLB mound for roughly two years, with him returning to the Dodgers’ rotation en route to their 2024 World Series triumph.

The Red Sox are 69-59, good for the second American League wild-card spot, and a half-game behind the New York Yankees for the top AL wild-card spot. Boston and New York are in the midst of a four-game series in the Bronx, with Game 2 of the series on Friday night.

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