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Walker Buehler isn't having a great season in Boston. The former Dodger, who was one of Boston's big catches this winter, has a 5.40 ERA and a 1.564 WHIP in 22 starts this season.
He's seriously pulling it out.
But even so, until now, Buehler had managed to keep his spot in the rotation. The club didn't have a ton of other options… except that's all changing.
So we wondered if Buehler's time had finally come, and early this evening, Alex Cora confirmed it: Buehler is going to the relief bullpen.
He has therefore lost his place in the rotation.
Alex Cora on Walker Buehler's new role with the team
“[Walker Buehler's] going to go to the bullpen … I still believe in him.” pic.twitter.com/F683z8Cm0I
— NESN (@NESN) August 22, 2025
Buehler's next start was scheduled for Monday, but it will instead be another pitcher who takes his place. Buehler, however, will be used in relief… and that could start as early as this weekend.
Because in reality, there was less and less room in the rotation for Buehler. Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Dustin May are doing good work, and Richard Fitts was recently recalled.
And that's not counting guys like Kyle Harrison and Cooper Criswell, who could be recalled in their turn.
Last year, Buehler shone as a reliever in the World Series, closing the books in the last game of the series to give the Dodgers the win. Perhaps this new role will give him a boost to his season.
Alex Cora says he still has confidence in himself, at least. He wasn't going to say otherwise, of course, but seeing Buehler in the bullpen rather than in the waivers is a sign that there's still some hope.
So we'll see if the change will be beneficial for Buehler and the Red Sox, but it's about time, for everyone's sake, that it happened.
Especially since, if Buehler remained in the rotation, he could have gone for three more $500,000 bonuses (one for every two starts). The club saves money, too.
This content was created with the help of AI.
