San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen announced following Sunday’s 4-3 victory against the New York Yankees that right-hander Nick Pivetta will come off the injured list to start Monday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Pivetta has missed nearly five months due to a right elbow flexor strain.
Nick Pivetta Returns to the Padres Rotation
He logged a sharp final rehab start with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, striking out seven batters over 4 1/3 scoreless innings while throwing 64 pitches. Stammen told reporters that Pivetta displayed strong fastball command and improved curveball control during that outing, prompting the team to activate him for the major league rotation.
“He got his pitch count up to a spot that we felt comfortable bringing him up to the big leagues and seeing what he has.”
Pitch Count Limits and Bullpen Adjustments
Pivetta enters Monday’s matchup against the Nationals under strict workload management. Because he topped out at 64 pitches in his final minor league rehab appearance, Stammen noted that the pitcher will operate on a similar pitch count initially.
To accommodate Pivetta’s return to the starting rotation, right-hander Randy Vásquez will transition to the bullpen.
Wild Card Implications and Rotation Outlook
The Padres enter the final stretch of the regular season sitting a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the race for the final National League Wild Card spot. With the postseason race tightening, San Diego plans to maintain a five-man rotation rather than expanding to six starters, according to Stammen.
Pivetta’s reintegration provides a major boost to a rotation that has stabilized significantly following trade deadline additions like Robbie Ray and Casey Mize, alongside staff ace Michael King. King pitched six scoreless innings in Sunday’s win over the Yankees, lowering his season ERA to 3.00, and expressed eagerness to watch Pivetta’s performance down the stretch.
“I can’t wait,” King told MLB.com postgame. “Pitching today, it was like, once I can get through this, all my focus is on him. Very impressed that he’s able to get back from that injury. And it will be huge for him to be the Nick Pivetta that we know coming down the stretch here.”