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    Notes about the team are posted here.

    126 rumors in this category

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Right-hander Matt Waldron will not be pitching out of the San Diego Padres' bullpen this weekend. Instead, he will be sitting on the injured list.

      The Padres on Friday placed Waldron on the 15-day IL with a right brachialis muscle injury. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob was called up from Triple-A El Paso. The brachialis muscle is a muscle located in the upper arm under the biceps and the injury is typically called climber's elbow from its repetitive use.

      Waldron's spot on the roster was in jeopardy with the impending addition of right-handed starter Lucas Giolito, who signed with the Padres last month and is set to start perhaps Saturday, when he needs to be added to the MLB roster per language in his contract.

      Waldron started Tuesday's series opener vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, but gave up six runs on eight hits and two walks in 2⅔ innings. He then came on in relief Thursday, pitching two scoreless innings. Manager Craig Stammen said after Thursday's game that Waldron would be in the bullpen this weekend vs. the Seattle Mariners. In six games this year, two coming as the bulk pitcher following an opener, Waldron has an 8.49 ERA with seven walks and 22 strikeouts over 23⅓ innings. Waldron had replaced injured Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta in the rotation.

      Waldron is out of minor-league options, which is why his roster status within the organization is so precarious. This now keeps Waldron, who started the season on the 15-day IL following hemorrhoid surgery in spring training, in the organization for the foreseeable future.

      Jacob was up for a couple days in mid-April and appeared in just one game, throwing two shutout innings.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      Right-hander Matt Waldron's chances to make the San Diego Padres' Opening Day starting rotation took a major hit when he had a medical procedure to treat an infection.

      New Padres manager Craig Stammen said Waldron, who features a knuckleball, is "week-to-week" after the procedure addressed the infection in his "rear end."

      The 29-year-old spent most of 2025 at Triple-A El Paso and made just one MLB start. But with room in the rotation this spring, Waldron entered camp as one of a handful of candidates for the last two spots. He is out of minor-league options, which means he needs to make the Opening Day roster or go on the 15-day injured list to avoid being designated for assignment.

      Waldron started 26 times (in 27 appearances) in 2024, putting up a 4.26 FIP. He walked 6.4% of batters and struck out 21.3%, solid numbers. By throwing the knuck

      Steve Drumwright

      Not that the San Diego Padres needed more depth in their bullpen, but you can never have too many arms. But this one will go into the bank in hopes of a future payoff.

      Veteran right-hander Jose Leclerc, who has closer experience but missed most of 2025 with an injury, is close to signing a minor-league contract with the San Diego Padres, MLB insider Mike Rodriguez reported Monday.

      The 32-year-old had lat surgery in August and is still working his way back, projected to return to action in July. To show his progress, Leclerc threw a bullpen session recently for a handful of teams.

      Leclerc pitched in just 10 games and nine innings last season for the A's, with his last appearance in late April.

      Before that, he had spent his entire eight-year career with the Texas Rangers, including being a big part of the bullpen that helped secure the 2023 World Series championship, getting four saves that postseason. He has 41 saves in 360 career games, posting a 3.54 FIP. He has struggled with walks in his career, with a 13.1% walk rate, but excels at strikeouts with a 30.8% rate. His walk rate was 11.1% in 2024.

      Steve Drumwright

       

       

      Just over a month ago, Nick Pivetta walked off the mound in Lake Elsinore, looking like his season might be over. Now, the right-hander is set to rejoin the San Diego Padres for the final three weeks of the regular season.

      Pivetta will be activated from the 60-day injured list and start Monday's game against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park, manager Craig Stammen said following Sunday's 4-3 victory over the New York Yankees. Right-hander Randy Vasquez will move to a relief role, perhaps piggybacking Pivetta on Monday.

      The Padres will have to make moves regarding the 26- and 40-man rosters to accommodate Pivetta's return. One possibility on the 26-man roster would be sending right-hander Jhony Brito back to Triple-A El Paso, while designated hitter Miguel Andujar could be transferred to the 60-day IL.

      The 33-year-old has been out since mid-April with a strained right flexor in his right elbow. After being sidelined for a lengthy period, he began a rehab assignment Aug. 4 with fellow right-handed starter Joe Musgrove at Low-A Lake Elsinore. Musgrove started and his outing went well, but Pivetta walked off the mound after throwing his 14th pitch, saying that his elbow didn't feel right. However, he did throw about 30 pitches in a bullpen session that day, a good sign. But he returned a couple weeks later, making one start for Lake Elsinore and then one last weekend for Triple-A El Paso and looked good.

      Everyone involved in the process decided that if Pivetta came out of Saturday's bullpen session feeling good that he would start against the Nationals.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      San Diego Padres right-handed starter Randy Vasquez was back at the team hotel in Los Angeles on Friday morning after fainting Thursday night.

      Vasquez was nailed on the right ankle by a comebacker off the bat of Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts in the first inning of a 12-7 loss. Vasquez not only stayed in the game and finished the inning, but he went two more innings before being removed. As a precaution, he was en route to getting an X-ray on the ankle when he fainted at Dodger Stadium, manager Craig Stammen said on MLB Network Radio. Vasquez was then taken to a hospital.

      "That's great news in what could have been a really scary situation and definitely caught everybody off-guard," Stammen said. "But glad Randy's doing well, and X-rays were negative and all the tests came back pretty clean."

      Due to the fainting spell, the X-rays were not taken. Testing will be done to determine Vasquez's injury status.

       

       

      Steve Drumwright

      Merrill Kelly had dreams of living on Coronado and pitching at Petco Park with the San Diego Padres for the next three years. But California's high tax rate ultimately made the difference in the right-handed starter choosing to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

      The 37-year-old said Monday on the "Foul Territory" podcast that the Padres initially had the better deal for three years, but the D'backs eventually increased their two-year offer to make it worthy of turning down the Friars to remain in the desert.

      Kelly wound up getting a two-year, $40 million contract from the D'backs with a vesting option for 2028.

      "I don't think it's any secret on how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California. There were a lot of factors that went into the three-year deal. It was definitely enticing, it definitely made the decision a lot harder to come back here. But once Arizona, once these guys got to the number they did, it made a lot of sense to come back here."

      California has a tax rate of 13% on incomes $1 million and above, while Arizona as a flat rate of 2.5%.

      "I love San Diego," Kelly said. "Like I said, they take too much money out of my pocket. The taxes over there are a different level. We had my numbers guy run the numbers and it just made more sense to come home — which is crazy on a two-year compared to a three-year (contract)."

      Kelly said he was close to choosing the Padres, but is happy to be able to not leave his family in the Phoenix area.

      "It worked out best for us because that was honestly our second choice," Kelly said. "It was between here and San Diego going into the offseason."

      Steve Drumwright

       

      It is official: Matt Waldron is back.

      As has been expected since Opening Day starter Nick Pivetta went on the injured list Tuesday, Waldron was activated from the 15-day injured list in order to start Friday's series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. Right-handed reliever Alek Jacob, who came up from Triple-A when Pivetta went on the IL, was sent back to El Paso.

      Waldron had been a candidate to make the Friars' rotation out of spring training, but that was interrupted when he required hemorrhoid surgery on Feb. 24. He was back pitching a couple weeks later, but with the additions of right-handed starters Walker Buehler and German Marquez, the Padres could slow play Waldron's return by putting him on the IL to start the season.

      Waldron has been on a rehab assignment at El Paso since the Triple-A season began and has performed very well. He made three starts for the Chihuahuas, tossing 12 scoreless innings, giving up seven hits and a walk against 12 strikeouts. Waldron's stay on the roster will depend on how well he performs as he is out of minor-league options.

      Jacob appeared in one of the three games he was active for, throwing two scoreless innings in Wednesday's 7-6 comeback victory over the Seattle Mariners.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The late start to the season for Lucas Giolito has been interrupted.

      The San Diego Padres on Tuesday placed the right-handed starter on the 15-day injured list with inflammation in his right elbow. Left-hander JP Sears was called up from Triple-A El Paso.

      Giolito, the last of MLB's top free agents to sign, signed a one-year, $3 million contract April 22, nearly a month after Opening Day, and spent another three-plus weeks getting his arm in game shape in the minors. But he has been inconsistent in his seven games, which included the last two with an opener to try and give him a path to success.

      But Giolito has produced a 6.07 FIP (5.16 ERA), with career worsts of a 16.7% walk rate and 13% strikeout rate. His last start came in Sunday's series finale against the Texas Rangers, a 4-3 loss, in which Giolito lasted just four innings, giving up all four runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

      Sears, the other piece the Padres got from the A's in the Mason Miller deal at last year's trade deadline, has been in the minors all season. In 14 starts, Sears has a 7.92 ERA with 28 walks and 62 strikeouts in 63⅔ innings.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The long road back for Jhony Brito has officially taken him to Petco Park.

      The Padres called up the right-hander from Triple-A El Paso on Tuesday and optioned right-hander Alek Jacob back to Triple-A.

      Brito, one of the five players the Padres acquired from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade in 2024, is back in the majors with the Friars for the first time since that 2024 season. Brito began the 2025 season by having an internal brace procedure on his right elbow and flexor tendon surgery that April. He began a rehab assignment in early May and pitched well in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list and being assigned to El Paso.

      In four starts for the Chihuahuas, Brito has a 0.96 ERA in 18⅔ innings with nine walks and 19 strikeouts.

      Brito is expected to make his season debut in a relief role Tuesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, following starter German Marquez.

      Jacob was called up Friday and appeared in just one game, tossing a much-needed three innings in Monday's series-opening 8-0 loss to the D'backs.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      Jeremiah Estrada's stay on the injured list wasn't very long.

      The right-handed reliever was activated from the 15-day injured list Friday by the San Diego Padres, who formally announced right-handed reliever David Morgan being optioned to Triple-A El Paso, which happened Thursday.

      Estrada, a vital piece of the Friars' bullpen, had been on the IL since April 10 with tendinitis in his right elbow. He made just two rehab appearances, one last Friday for Low-A Lake Elsinore and another Tuesday for El Paso. Estrada pitched one inning in each appearance and didn't allow a hit or a run, walking one and striking out two combined.

      Estrada's velocity, which in part led to his IL placement, was back to its regular upper 90s after being about 5 mph slower before going on the IL.

      Activating Estrada still leaves left-hander Yuki Matsui on the verge of returning from his strained left groin. Matsui's rehab assignment started April 4, meaning it runs through this weekend before expiring.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The experiment with German Marquez didn't work out for the San Diego Padres.

      The right-hander was designated for assignment Wednesday by the Padres as left-hander Robbie Ray was officially added to the 26-man roster. Ray was acquired Monday in a trade with the San Francisco Giants. The other pitcher picked up Monday, right-hander Casey Mize, is set to start Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

      Marquez had a 6.61 FIP (5.26 ERA) in 13 games, including a 10.2% walk rate and 15.7% strikeout rate. He was signed to a $1.75 million contract early in spring training after spending 10 years with the Colorado Rockies. He was expected to fill the back end of the Padres' rotation. His season got off to a roller-coaster start, allowing four runs in three of his first five starts while not allowing a run in the other two. After giving up seven runs and two homers on May 1 in an 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Petco Park, he went on the injured list with right forearm irritation.

      While a bit better, he still struggled when he returned July 2. His inconsistency knocked him out of the rotation and put him in the pitching chaos plan as a bulk guy. That worked out really well in his outing Friday, when he pitched five shutout innings to finish a 7-0 home victory over the San Francisco Giants.

      But the decisive blow may have come Tuesday, when he gave up four runs in the seventh inning, including two homers, in a 9-4 road win over the Diamondbacks.

      Ray is scheduled to start Friday against the Houston Astros to begin a three-game series at Petco Park.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      A really deep San Diego Padres bullpen just got a wee bit thinner.

      Right-hander Bryan Hoeing, a candidate to make the Opening Day roster, will miss the entire 2026 season after deciding to have surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Thursday.

      This comes after the 29-year-old was limited to just seven MLB appearances and 18 in the minors in 2025 due to elbow and shoulder issues. Hoeing was shut down about two weeks ago after experiencing elbow discomfort.

      He will be put on the injured list before Opening Day and moved to the 60-day IL when the Padres need space on the 40-man roster, which currently sits at 39. Right-handed starter Yu Darvish, who is negotiating a buyout of his contract after having an internal brace procedure on his right UCL, will also need to be put on the 60-day IL.

      Typical recovery for flexor tendon surgery is nine months, meaning Hoeing should be good to go next spring training.

      Acquired from the Miami Marlins at the 2024 trade deadline, Hoeing pitched in 18 games for the Friars that season, with a 3.38 FIP (1.52 ERA), with 5.8% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate in 20⅔ innings.

      Hoeing will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this offseason.

      Steve Drumwright

      After surprisingly receiving a major-league contract this offseason, right-hander Daison Acosta is headed back to the minors before the season begins.

      The San Diego Padres announced Monday that the 27-year-old reliever had cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A El Paso. It had not been previously known that it had been designated for assignment. This leaves the Padres' 40-man roster at 39.

      Also, catcher Ethan Salas, the Friars' top position player prospect, was reassigned to minor-league camp. Salas had been a non-roster invitee to major-league camp.

      Acosta, who signed a one-year contract for the MLB minimum of $780,000 in early December, has spent his previous eight seasons in the minors, the first six with the New York Mets and the last two with the Washington Nationals. The Padres gave him that deal after Acosta finished the season with a 0.90 ERA in 26 games, striking out 46 in 30 innings at Double-A. But that came after he opened the season at Triple-A and put up a 5.57 ERA in 19 games.

      It could portend an outside addition or adding a non-roster player to the 40-man roster. The Friars also have another 40-man move to make before Opening Day, with Yu Darvish not pitching this season.

      Steve Drumwright

       

      The San Diego Padres' vaunted bullpen has taken a hit.

      Right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada was placed on the 15- day injured list by the Padres on Wednesday due to a right shoulder impingement. Right-handed reliever David Morgan was called up from the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas.

      Estrada last pitched in Monday's 3-2 loss in 12 innings to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He handled the 12th inning and gave up the go-ahead run on a leadoff single. For the season, Estrada has a 3.02 FIP (3.48 ERA) with a 12.7% walk rate and 30.2% strikeout rate over 31 innings and 33 games.

      This is Estrada's third trip to the IL this year. In April, he had right elbow tendinitis that kept him out three weeks, then Estrada missed nearly two months (June 5-July 29) due to right knee inflammation.

      Morgan is back with the Padres for the third time this season. He was optioned to Triple-A on April 30 following early struggles, then came back up June 5, replacing Estrada at that time, too. But he then landed on the 15-day IL on June 29 with inflammation in his left knee. Once healthy, he came off the IL and optioned to El Paso. He has a 4.08 FIP (4.50 ERA) and a walk rate of 12.4% and a strikeout rate of 24.8%.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      MLB on Monday suspended San Diego Padres right-handed reliever Ron Marinaccio three games and fined an undisclosed amount for hitting Baltimore Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson with a pitch in Saturday's game.

      Marinaccio is appealing his suspension, so will remain on the active roster until that is heard.

      Padres manager Craig Stammen was also suspended one game. Managers can't appeal, so Stammen will sit out Monday's series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals. Bench coach Randy Knorr will run the team instead.

      The incident came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

      In the top of the fifth, Padres star shortstop Xander Bogaerts was hit in the left earflap of his helmet by a pitch from Orioles right-handed starter Trey Gibson. Bogaerts had to leave the game an inning later after feeling woozy. No penalty was issued to Gibson.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      After the season he put together in 2025, David Morgan was hoping he had seen the last of El Paso. Unfortunately, he is headed back there after the first month of the 2026 season.

      The San Diego Padres optioned the right-handed reliever to the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas on Thursday following a rough start to the season.

      The Padres will need to make a corresponding move before Friday's series opener against the Chicago White Sox. That is likely to be activating left-handed reliever Yuki Matsui off the 15-day injured list, with another possibility being activating right-handed reliever Jeremiah Estrada.

      Morgan was a surprise in the Padres' bullpen in 2025, appearing in 41 games with a 3.71 FIP (2.66 ERA) in 47⅓ innings following his first call-up to MLB. He had been an undrafted free agent who signed with the Padres in 2022 after finishing his career at Hope International University in Fullerton.

      But this year was a different story. In 11 appearances over 13⅓ innings, Morgan had a 5.74 FIP (6.30 ERA), including 11 walks and 15 strikeouts. His 11 walks are nearly half of what he issued last year (23). His latest outing came in Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs in which he allowed a run on a hit and a walk with one strikeout in two-thirds of an inning. He came on with runners on first and second with one out in a 2-2 game in the top of the sixth and threw a wild pitch and gave up a go-ahead two-out two-run double to Nico Hoerner.

      Matsui went on the IL on March 25 with a strained groin and began a rehab assignment April 4. That assignment is due to end this weekend. He has allowed six runs on 10 hits with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 10⅔ innings for a 5.06 ERA at El Paso. He pitched multiple innings for the first time Sunday and followed that up with a one-inning appearance Wednesday.

      Estrada had made only two appearances, one at Low-A Lake Elsinore on Friday and the other with El Paso on Tuesday, as he recovers from right elbow tendinitis. He went on the IL on April 10.

       

      Steve Drumwright

       

      While he didn't fit with the San Diego Padres anymore, Ron Marinaccio has found a new home.

      The Padres on Thursday traded the right-handed reliever to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for international signing bonus money. According to MLB insider Francys Romero, the Padres received $500,000.

      Marinaccio was designated for assignment by the Padres on Sunday. He was the odd man out in the bullpen and was out of options when left-hander Wandy Peralta came back off the bereavement list.

      The 31-year-old, dealt from the Chicago White Sox in January 2025 after he was DFA'd for cash, had a 5.32 FIP (4.79 ERA) in 33 appearances with an 8.9% walk rate and 18.7% strikeout rate this season.

       

      Steve Drumwright

      The San Diego Padres are riding with the new guys.

      Shortstop Xander Bogaerts was activated from the paternity list Friday, with a surprising counter-move: outfielder Bryce Johnson was designated for assignment. The Padres begin a nine-game road trip Friday with three games against the Baltimore Orioles.

      It would have seemed routine had the Padres sent infielder Will Wagner, the son of Hall of Famer Billy Wagner, back to Triple-A El Paso after he was called up Tuesday to replace Bogaerts, whose wife gave birth to the couple's third child. Two other choices might have even made sense with outfielder-infielder Samad Taylor or outfielder Jase Bowen, both recent call-ups.

      Instead, it was Johnson, the switch-hitting outfielder who was DFA'd after posting a .178/.229/.222 slash line with no homers and two RBIs in 32 games. The play of Taylor and Bowen, a pair of energy guys, has been solid thus far, in particular some noteworthy contributions by Taylor.

      Johnson, a good defender who can play any outfield spot, is the second player from the Opening Day roster who has been DFA'd, joining outfielder Nick Castellanos. There is a chance that if Johnson goes unclaimed, he could return to Triple-A.

      Steve Drumwright

      As the San Diego Padres played their second game of the season on Friday, two of their players took their first steps in making their way back to the major-league roster.

      Infielder Sung Mun Song and right-handed starter Matt Waldron began rehab assignments with Triple-A El Paso following their spring training injuries. Friday marked the season opener for the Chihuahuas, who played on the road against the Sacramento River Cats. Waldron is recovering from hemorrhoid surgery, and Song from a strained right oblique.

      Waldron started and went three shutout innings, allowing two hits, walking none, and striking out three. Waldron faced 10 batters and threw 37 pitches, 25 for strikes.

      Song, who played second base, had four plate appearances, going 1-for-3 with a walk, a strikeout, and two RBIs. Hitting second in the lineup, Song drew a six-pitch walk in his first plate appearance, lined out to center in the third inning, hit a two-run single in the fifth, and struck out in the sixth before being replaced in the bottom of the eighth by Clay Dungan. In the field, Song handled four grounders, helped turn two double plays, and caught a pop-up.

      The Chihuahuas won 9-3.

      The clock has now started on Waldron and Song. Rehab assignments can last up to 30 days for pitchers and 20 days for position players.

      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.

      Steve Drumwright

      While addressing the contract extension for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller on Monday, San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler was asked about the status of the sale of the MLB team.

      "We’ve had tremendous interest,” Seidler said at the team's spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz. “There has been interest, some parties that have been reported in the press, others have not. There are more parties interested than has been reported."

      The Seidler family announced it was pursuing a sale in mid-November, but some family quarrels prevented that from truly progressing. That was resolved a couple weeks ago, with the team expecting to start receiving bids by the end of the month.

      BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank, is acting as the advisor to the Padres during the sale process. The Seidlers are seeking nearly $3 billion for the Padres. The record for an MLB team is Steve Cohen's $2.42 billion purchase of the New York Mets in 2020.

      Seidler said he prefers the new owner has ties to San Diego and that the process "over the next few months will come to a logical conclusion." That likely means new ownership would be up for approval late in the season or early next offseason, though the impending MLB lockout could alter that timeline.

      Regarding Preller, Seidler said it was key to keep building on the success the team has had in recent seasons.

      "What was important about getting the deal done is A,J. has been the architect of the team," Seidler said. "Without A.J.'s roster-building over the duration, we wouldn't be where we are today."

      Brock Beauchamp

      San Diego’s decision to exercise Ramón Laureano’s 2026 club option keeps a 2025 midseason addition rostered after one of the most productive years of his career. The option covers the 2026 season at $6.5 million. The 31-year-old Laureano split 2025 between Baltimore and San Diego, appearing in 132 games and accumulating 488 plate appearances. He finished the year with a .281/.342/.512 triple slash, along with 24 home runs and seven stolen bases. His overall offensive line translated to a .364 wOBA and 138 wRC+. 

      With the Padres, Laureano appeared in 50 games after his July 31 trade from the Orioles. In 198 plate appearances for San Diego, he hit .269/.323/.489 with nine home runs and three stolen bases. In San Diego, he posted a .347 wOBA and 127 wRC+, with a 6.6 percent walk rate and 23.7 percent strikeout rate.

      Defensively, Laureano continued to work primarily in the outfield corners. Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric graded him at -5 OAA for his time in San Diego. Over his combined time with Baltimore and San Diego, one defensive-value framework credited him with -8.7 defensive runs, while his overall WAR was 3.0. 

      Laureano’s season also included multiple injured-list stints. Baltimore placed him on the 10-day injured list on May 24 with a left ankle sprain and later activated him on June 6. After the trade, San Diego placed him on the 10-day injured list on September 27 with a right index finger fracture, before activating him again on October 3. 

      Brandon Glick

      There's been a lot of discourse surrounding Yu Darvish following his late-season struggles.

      Now, those conversations can be put to rest. The Japanese veteran reportedly underwent successful Ulnar Collateral Ligament repair surgery with an internal brace on his right elbow, which will force him to miss the entirety of next year.

      While one step short of full-blown Tommy John surgery, this is still a serious elbow repair for a pitcher with more than 1,700 innings on his arm in just the regular season, let alone the playoffs and NPB. Darvish, 39, had the worst season of his career in 2025, authoring a 5.38 ERA in 72.0 innings.

      He has three years and $46 million remaining on his current deal. Returning from this injury to be an effective starter at age 40 and 41 would be one of the greatest miracles in Padres history.

      Steve Drumwright

      If everything goes to plan, Mason Miller could be striking out Shohei Ohtani for the final out of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

      That is because Miller, the San Diego Padres' closer, was named to the U.S. roster on Thursday. Miller joins starters Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and Logan Webb, among others, as committing to play for the U.S. Skubal and Skenes were this year's AL and NL Cy Young Award winners, respectively.

      Miller, acquired by the Padres at the trade deadline from the Athletics, notched 22 saves in 26 chances between the two teams, including two saves in three opportunities with San Diego. Miller mainly served as the setup man for Robert Suarez, who was a free agent this offseason and recently signed with Atlanta.

      Miller has a 0.77 ERA and 1.12 FIP in 22 appearances with the Padres. He had a 54.2 strikeout percentage after the trade.

      Billy Mock

      Michael Salina, a 21-year-old junior from St. Bonaventure, has made school history as the highest draft pick to come from there. Salina came from the high school ranks in New York before opening his college career with George Mason as a reliever in his freshman year. He transferred to St. Bonaventure for his sophomore year, where he made 12 starts, posting a 4.78 ERA while striking out 64 in 58 1/3 innings.

      Salina's draft stock took a hit this spring after he suffered an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery after just four starts. Prior to the injury, he owned a 4.15 ERA while striking out 35.1% of the batters he had faced. 

      His fastball stands out as the carrying tool as it sat in the mid to high-90s with great extension, and even reached as high as 102 mph. He throws a hard slider with two-plane movement to complement the slider, which profiles really well in a big league bullpen. While he has shown some success as a starter at the college level, the likely scenario is that he ends up in a relief role as a potential high-leverage option following his recovery. 

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