The Boston Red Sox announced Friday that they have released right-hander Walker Buehler.
The 31-year-old, who signed a one-year, $21.05 million deal in the offseason, struggled in his first season with Boston, prompting manager Alex Cora to move him to the bullpen last week. In 23 appearances this year, Buehler posted a 5.45 ERA with 84 strikeouts over 112⅓ innings. His strikeout rate of 6.7 per nine innings is the lowest of his eight MLB seasons. He also allowed 120 hits (9.6 per nine innings) and 55 walks (4.4 per nine), the latter marking a career high.
Buehler missed all of 2023 recovering from his second Tommy John surgery but returned last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, recording a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts. He showed flashes of improvement during the Dodgers’ World Series run, striking out 13 and allowing just six hits across 15 postseason innings.
Boston had hoped he could build on that success and earn a more lucrative contract in free agency, but Buehler struggled out of the gate, giving up nine earned runs in 9⅓ innings in his first two starts and eventually landing on the injured list with right shoulder bursitis. After surrendering seven runs in two innings against the Yankees on June 6, he admitted his performance was “embarrassing.”
Buehler, an All-Star in 2019 and 2021, previously combined for a 30-8 record with a 2.87 ERA before his injuries.
His release comes as the Red Sox promote top pitching prospect Payton Tolle, who will start Friday against Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boston sits 3.5 games behind the AL East leaders but holds the first AL wild-card spot with 27 games remaining in the regular season.
