The beginning of Walker Buehler's Boston Red Sox tenure was going smoothly. He wasn't lighting the world on fire, but his efforts were serviceable and conducive to winning. However, the middling honeymoon phase is long over, with the team's series opener against the San Diego Padres reportedly marking a possible breaking point.
Buehler has struggled mightily since late May, and things have reached a stage where the Red Sox are ostensibly evaluating him on a game-to-game basis. He "may be on thinner ice [than usual] with his roster spot," according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. By the sound of it, the 31-year-old's start in San Diego could be his last for the foreseeable future, conceivably putting Boston in a bind.
Feels like a big start tonight for Walker Buehler, who may be on thinner ice with his roster spot. Have heard Red Sox assessing potential rotation changes, especially with Harrison looking better and Criswell’s HOU outing. Buehler could be odd man out without a turnaround soon.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) August 8, 2025
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Red Sox might be left searching for rotation answers if Walker Buehler gets demoted
Boston's rotation is thin as is, and trade deadline acquisition Dustin May already looks more like a problem than a solution after one outing. They have a true frontline ace in All-Star Garrett Crochet and solid secondary arms in Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito, but it's murky after that. Particularly following season-ending injuries to Hunter Dobbins, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck, plus Richard Fitts' recent demotion.
For better or worse, the Red Sox have a lot riding on Buehler. Another poor performance might leave Boston no choice but to turn to unusual suspects amid a campaign in which they're legitimately pushing for a pennant. It's hard to argue that the unknown can be any worse than what we've seen from the two-time All-Star. Nonetheless, at the same time, does manager Alex Cora want to bet veteran reliever Cooper or minor league Kyle Harrison when it's winning time?
Entering Boston's meeting with the Padres, Buehler has gone 2-5 with a 6.83 ERA and 38 strikeouts across 58 innings of work over 12 contests. So, getting optioned should at least be on the table, yet the grass isn't always greener.
Per Cotillo, the Red Sox liked what they saw from Criswell in his spot start versus the Houston Astros on Aug. 2. The beat writer also notes that Harrison, the centerpiece of Boston's return package in the still-stunning blockbuster Rafael Devers swap, is "looking better" at Triple-A Worcester. Yet, the former's experience as primarily a bullpen piece and the latter's inconsistencies in the Majors are valid concerns.