Padres DFA starting pitcher to make room for Robbie Ray

The San Diego Padres are making the Robbie Ray transaction official. To make room on the roster, the team has designated starting pitcher German Marquez for assignment, the team announced.

Marquez had a 5.26 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, and -0.1 WAR during his time in San Diego. Marquez had his moments, but ultimately, manager Craig Stammen had a tough decision to make.

This is a move that makes sense for the Padres, and what remains is a list full of starting pitchers who are running out of time to make an impact. Marquez was not the first, nor will he be the last pitcher to be either optioned or DFA’d in the next couple of weeks, heading into a postseason race.

Over the weekend, the Padres DFA’d pitcher Matt Waldron. The knuckleballer was then claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

The Padres designated Germán Márquez for assignment, clearing space for Robbie Ray to be added to the roster. Separately, Matt Waldron, who was DFA’d last week, has been claimed by Toronto.

— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) August 5, 2026

Furthermore, the Padres optioned JP Sears on Tuesday to make room for Casey Mize. As of now, Griffin Canning, Walker Buehler, and Randy Vasquez are fighting every pitch to remain on the roster. Vasquez is far ahead of the other two names, but may move to the bullpen if Joe Musgrove returns later this month.

Mize starts his first game as a Padre on Wednesday, followed by Buehler on Thursday. Then, Ray will pitch against the Astros back in San Diego, where he last pitched before the trade. The rotation has transformed into a much better core after the two trades, and if Musgrove and/or potentially Nick Pivetta are back healthy, then you never know what can happen in October.

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