A simple mound-visit mix-up turned into a costly pitching change for the Padres on Wednesday, and Walker Buehler was the one who paid the price.
Manager Craig Stammen went to the mound in the third inning with the idea of pulling Buehler and going to the bullpen. But after a tense conversation with the veteran right-hander, Stammen decided to let him stay in the game. The issue was that pitching coach Ruben Niebla had already made a visit to Buehler earlier in that same inning.
Under MLB rules, that meant the Padres had already used their second mound visit to the same pitcher in the inning, and Buehler had to come out.
Walker Buehler was forced to leave today's game in the third inning because Craig Stammen visited the mound after Ruben Niebla had already made a visit in that same inning. pic.twitter.com/73EKmpa46i
- Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) September 9, 2026
Stammen admitted the mistake after San Diego’s 9-2 win over the Washington Nationals.
Buehler was already deep into a heavy workload when the rule kicked in. He had thrown 60 pitches in 2.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out four. The Padres were hoping he could keep going and work through the inning, but the rulebook ended that plan.
Kyle Hart stepped in and gave San Diego a steady answer. The left-hander worked 2.1 scoreless innings, helping the Padres keep control of the game and finish off the win.
The odd ending to Buehler’s outing didn’t knock San Diego out of position in the standings. The Padres improved to 78-68 and still hold the final Wild Card spot in the National League.
That cushion is thin, though. San Diego is just a half-game ahead of the Arizona Diamondbacks and sits 2.5 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the race.
Next up is a three-game weekend series against the San Francisco Giants, starting Friday. For the Padres, the strange third-inning sequence is the kind of blunder they can’t afford to repeat as the postseason chase tightens.
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