Padres Insider Provides Unfortunate Timeline on Michael King Return

The San Diego Padres have now spent three weeks without Michael King, and according to The Athletic's Dennis Lin, they may need to gear up for another month without their Opening Day Starter.

According to Lin, sports neurologist Dr. Ilan Danan — who is yet to examine or treat King —hypothesized the right-hander's symptoms may stem from a herniated disc in his neck, which would not be uncommon for a baseball player.

"No matter what is ailing King, a return before the All-Star break has become increasingly unlikely," said Lin.

The Padres scratched King from his start against the Atlanta Braves May 24 before putting him on the 15-day injured list the following day. They originally placed him on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, though they later found the issue was a pinched nerve.

King has not had a timeline for return since his diagnosis, and the steps he has taken toward pitching again are minimal.

King has been one of the best starters in baseball since his move to the Padres from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade. In his first year with the Friars in 2024, he posted a 2.95 ERA through 30 starts, placing seventh in NL Cy Young voting and making the All-MLB Second Team.

This season he had been even better, recording his first ever complete game shutout and keeping a lower ERA than last season, sitting at 2.59 before his injury.

Ryan Bergert has served as King's replacement since his injury, and has made two starts since joining the team June 3. He has allowed two runs in 10.1 innings as a starter, and allowed one hit through 5.1 scoreless innings June 8 against Milwaukee.

The Padres will hope to get King back as soon as possible, as they slipped from second to third in the NL West after their series loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers. They trail the division-leading Dodgers by two games, and sit one back of the second-place San Francisco Giants.

For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.