How Ex-Red Sox Starter Walker Buehler Fared In Strong Phillies Debut

It didn’t take long for Walker Buehler to get his first shot in the Phillies rotation, and he showed enough to justify, at least for now, why Philly took a flier on the former Red Sox starter.

Buehler signed with Boston over the offseason, but was released last month after failing to find his footing with the Red Sox. He pitched to a 7-7 record with a 5.45 ERA, and had been moved to the bullpen leading up to his release.

The 31-year-old quickly latched on with the Phillies on a minor league deal, and after a brief wait, he made his debut Friday in Philly’s 6-0 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Buehler pitched well in a short outing, allowing one run on five hits across five innings, striking out three, walking one and hitting one batter. Because of the injury to Zack Wheeler and few back-of-the-rotation arms locking down spots, it is plausible that Buehler, with a strong performance down the stretch, could carve a way into a bulk relief role in the postseason.

Buehler finished 2024 strong with the Dodgers, but that was after a spotty regular season upon his return from Tommy John surgery.