On the surface things could not appear to be better for the San Diego Padres. They are currently in the middle of a five-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine games. However, their last victory had a bittersweet feeling, as the ace of the rotation Nick Pivetta departed in the fourth inning, with what the team announced as elbow tightness.
Now, the team has received some bad news as they have made a decision on Pivetta that will impact their weekend series with the Los Angeles Angels.
San Diego Padres Place Pivetta on Injured List
Prior to their series opener against the Mariners, the San Diego Padres announced they had placed starting pitcher Nick Pivetta on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April, 13.
Pivetta was originally scheduled to pitch against the Angels on Sunday, but will now miss that start as he recovers from his injury. Additionally, the move also means he will miss the start after that, which would have come against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Aside from the obvious bad news that comes from Pivetta missing time, placing him on the injured list goes against the initial optimism manager Craig Stammen had expressed following Sunday’s game.
After the game, Stammen said, “There’s a world where he makes his next start. So I think we’re optimistic that we caught it the right time, and then he just needs a little breather, maybe get healthy and get some vitamin C in him, and we’ll feel a little bit better.”
Pivetta seemed less optimistic than Stammen as he told reporters, “I think it’s too early to tell for me. I just tried to go out there, do the best I could, get as deep in the baseball game as I possibly could. Obviously, didn’t feel good. I came out of the game. But the bullpen picked me up. Team did a great job. A lot of home runs, a lot of great plays. Was able to get a really good sweep and build some good momentum as well.”
Padres’ Rotation
Additionally, Matt Waldron had a locker room at Petco Park and told reporters that he was starting for the Padres on Friday. Waldron is currently on the injured list, and the team has not yet announced his activation.
Waldron missed time in spring training as he required surgery following a hemorrhoid issue. However, during his brief playing time, he displayed some positive signs as his velocity was up from his previous average. Additionally, the Padres knuckleball pitcher has not allowed a run during 12 innings for the Chihuahuas. Waldron started only one game for the Padres in 2025, where he allowed four runs in 4.2 innings.
That move may not be the only transaction the Padres make to their rotation. A new report from Ken Rosenthal, Patrick Mooney, Dennis Lin and Sahadev Sharma revealed that the San Diego Padres are interested in right-handed starter Lucas Giolito.
Giolito last played for the Red Sox in the 2025 season, where he pitched 145 innings with a 10-4 record and a 3.41 ERA. Regarding the Padres’ interest, The Athletic’s report said, “The Padres’ interest in Giolito, meanwhile, may be complicated by the final stages of the franchise’s ongoing sale process, which could limit the baseball operations department’s financial flexibility.”
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