The San Diego Padres are right in the middle of a playoff push and have a lot of momentum after a flurry of MLB trade deadline acquisitions. Entering Tuesday, the Padres are 62-51 and holding on to the third spot in the National League Wild Card race. San Diego has also been without veteran pitcher Michael King for the past two-plus months.
Padres Manager Drops Michael King Injury News Amid Lengthy Absence originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The San Diego Padres are right in the middle of a playoff push and have a lot of momentum after a flurry of MLB trade deadline acquisitions.
Entering Tuesday, the Padres are 62-51 and holding on to the third spot in the National League Wild Card race.
San Diego has also been without veteran pitcher Michael King for the past two-plus months. King last pitched on May 18 against the Seattle Mariners and was scratched from his scheduled start on May 24 with what was described as right shoulder inflammation.
King was later moved to the 60-day IL, so it has been a long time since he has stepped on the mound in a San Diego uniform.
But the return is near, and manager Mike Shildt dropped a big update on Monday before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Mike Shildt Reveals Promising Michael King Update
King made a rehab start in Triple-A on Sunday and went 3.1 innings, allowing six runs with five strikeouts.
After that, Shildt revealed a promising update, per 97.3 The Fan.
"There's a really good chance, I'm not going to put it in pen yet, but I'll put it in dark pencil that he's got a good chance for his next start to be for the Padres' big league club," Shildt said.
King threw 61 pitches in the rehab start on Sunday, and Shildt added that the starter "feels good" and "felt good."
King got off to a strong start in his second year in San Diego. In 10 starts this season, he registered a 4-2 record with a 2.59 ERA while throwing 55.2 innings.
In 2024, King went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA in 31 starts after being acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees that sent Juan Soto to the Bronx.
So, King returning for the final two months of the season would be a massive boost to San Diego.
What Does the Padres' Rotation Look Like Right Now?
As it currently stands, here is how the Padres' rotation looks after a busy trade deadline:
- Yu Darvish
- Dylan Cease
- Nick Pivetta
- JP Sears (acquired from the Athletics)
The Padres did just send down Randy Vásquez to Triple-A El Paso after he made 22 starts and went 3-5 with a 3.93 ERA. In a corresponding move, they activated veteran left-hander Nestor Cortes, who was acquired at the deadline from the Milwaukee Brewers.
So, both Cortes and King being activated could give Shildt an opportunity to use a six-man rotation and provide them some extra rest down the stretch.
The Padres are also third in the majors in ERA with a 3.56 mark, so adding King back would only help the stellar group just in time for the final push.
For now, Darvish is scheduled for Tuesday, with Pivetta going on Wednesday, so the situation with both Cortes and King will be one to monitor over the next few days.
Related: Padres' Mason Miller Open to Making Big Change After Dylan Cease Report
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Baseball
