San Diego Padres pitcher Michael King returned to starting duties on Saturday following nearly three months on the injured list due to a pinched nerve. In his first outing since May 25, King struggled initially but showed signs of improvement during the appearance.
Early Performance and Challenges in First Start Back
King pitched into the third inning but exited after allowing a leadoff double to Alex Bregman. Over two full innings, he surrendered two runs on four hits. Reflecting on his outing, King noted that his pitches lacked precision early on, particularly mentioning troubles with his changeup and slider.
“Obviously, not as crisp as I’d like to be,”
King said. “… I crossfired a few times, trying to go in, missed away or trying to go away, missed in. Changeup wasn’t as good as I’d like it to be. I felt like I found it a little bit in the second inning, but still not great. Slider was nowhere.
I think (the) release point was off a little bit on some pitches. But had to make those adjustments. And think when I’m really rolling, I can make those one-pitch adjustments. It took me a couple pitches to make those adjustments, and I will definitely be faster with those in my next outing.” —Michael King, San Diego Padres pitcher
Background on King’s Performance Before Injury
Prior to his injury, King was having an impressive season, posting a 2.59 ERA over 10 starts. He recorded his first career complete game shutout and accumulated 64 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. His early success made him a vital component of the Padres’ rotation before the setback in late May.
Impact on Padres’ Rotation and Competitive Outlook
Following King‘s return start, his ERA rose slightly to 2.81, which remains an improvement compared to his 2.95 ERA last season. Additionally, the batting average against him hit the Mendoza line for the first time since early April. His presence strengthens a formidable starting staff that includes Dylan Cease, Nick Pivetta, Yu Darvish, and Nestor Cortes, all experienced <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/baseball/mlb/”>MLB pitchers.
The Padres are currently just two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West standings, positioning King and the pitching staff as key factors in the team’s hopes to overtake the division leader. With two remaining series against the Dodgers, the Padres aim for strong performances from King to help deepen their starting pitching and set up a bullpen regarded as one of the best in baseball.