Michael King Returns To 15-Day Injured List

[Brock Beauchamp]

Michael King is returning to the injured list after making only a single start with the Padres, and just hours after Padres Mission wrote a note about his importance to the stretch run.

San Diego placed the right-handed King on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation, retroactive to August 11. The move came five days after he was activated and one start into his return. San Diego recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso in the corresponding transaction. King had been lined up to start the series opener in Los Angeles on Friday. 

King previously spent nearly three months sidelined with a right shoulder issue identified as a long thoracic nerve problem. He was placed on the injured list on May 25, transferred to the 60-day IL on July 7, and then activated on August 9 to face Boston. In that start, he worked two innings on 57 pitches, allowing four hits and two runs with one strikeout. 

Across 11 starts this season, King has logged 57 1/3 innings with 65 strikeouts, a 2.81 ERA, and a 3.30 FIP. His strikeout rate is 27.5 percent, walk rate 8.1 percent, and K-BB% 19.5 percent. FanGraphs has him with 1.4 WAR on the season.

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[Padrefan since 84]

I fully expect the Padres to decline his option for next year and try to re-sign King to more of $7 to $8 mil one year deal.  After the injuries this year, I wouldn't pay him $15 mil.