The San Diego Padres announced starting pitcher Michael King will take a significant step towards his return to the rotation, as he will make a rehab start for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday.
King landed on the injured list May 25 after being scratched from his May 24 start against the Atlanta Braves with right shoulder inflammation, though was later diagnosed with a pinched nerve. He moved to the 60-day injured list on July 7.
Michael King will make a rehab start for the @epchihuahuas on Sunday in Round Rock, Texas. #Padres
— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) August 1, 2025
The Padres made two additions to their rotation at the trade deadline in JP Sears and Nestor Cortes, and King will be another solid addition to their arsenal.
Before his injury, King had performed at an even better level than last year, where he placed seventh in NL Cy Young voting. He has a 2.59 ERA through 10 starts in 2025 with 64 strikeouts in 55.2 innings. He also threw his first complete game shutout before moving to IL.
Since his injury, King has been adamant that he will return before the end of the season, despite lots of skepticism surrounding his situation.
"I’ve got a ton of confidence that what we’re doing is the correct thing to do, and I’ve felt my body progress in great ways," King said earlier this season. “So I’m very confident that I will pitch by the end of the year.”
The right-hander will be a huge boost for the Padres when he returns, and they will hope to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West with his assistance. The Padres sit three games back in the division and have a firm grip on a Wild Card spot while riding a six game win streak into Saturday's game.
They will play against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday at 7:10 p.m. PT for the second of their three-game series.
For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.
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