The San Diego Padres are heading into their weekend series against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park with significant momentum, having gone 9-2 since the All-Star break. Their recent success is even more impressive considering most of those wins came against first-place teams. However, there is some uncertainty surrounding their starting pitching rotation.
While General Manager A.J. Preller made key improvements to the bullpen at the trade deadline, the only addition to the starting rotation is left-hander Martín Pérez, who will make his Padres debut on Saturday night. The team might also be banking on the return of Joe Musgrove, who has been sidelined with a bone spur in his elbow. Musgrove’s recovery is progressing well, and he is set to make a minor league rehab start on Sunday, with hopes of returning to the big league rotation soon.
Musgrove expressed optimism about his recovery, stating that he’s throwing comfortably and cautiously. If his rehab start goes well, he could either make one more minor league outing or rejoin the Padres for the crucial stretch run.
Meanwhile, fellow starter Michael King might miss his next scheduled start on Sunday after taking a line drive to his calf in his last outing. Although he toughed it out for six innings, the injury has caused some tightness and pain. King, who has already thrown more innings this season than any other in his career, is eager to get back on the mound, but the team might see this as an opportunity to give him some rest.
If King is unable to start on Sunday, manager Mike Shildt may consider a bullpen day to fill the gap. Despite these pitching concerns, the Padres are focused on maintaining their winning momentum as they push towards the playoffs.