Padres make pitching demotion before Rays clash

The San Diego Padres are preparing to host the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night. Before the game, San Diego made a pitching roster move, demoting starter Kyle Hart to Triple-A, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.

“The Padres are optioning No. 5 starter Kyle Hart to Triple-A. With off-days yesterday, Monday and Thursday, they’ll go with a temporary four-man rotation. Ryan Bergert is expected to be added to the ‘pen. This should line up Pivetta-King for next week’s two-game set vs. SF,” Cassavell wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Padres demote Kyle Hart ahead of Rays game

It does not seem as if it will be a long-term demotion for Hart. The Padres have multiple off-days this week and are turning to a four-man rotation as a result. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Hart will likely be promoted once again soon. He will probably make a start or two in Triple-A before returning to the big league club.

Hart, a left-handed pitcher, has recorded a 6.00 ERA across five outings in 2025. The 32-year-old still could impact the Padres’ rotation this season. Perhaps taking some time away from the MLB team will allow Hart to get back on track.

The Padres have started the season on a positive note. In fact, San Diego is currently in first place in the National League West with a 17-8 record, holding a half-game lead over the San Francisco Giants and a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With Fernando Tatis Jr. leading the way, the Padres could realistically challenge the Dodgers for the division. The Dodgers remain the team-to-beat given their extremely high-ceiling, but the Padres are playing a quality brand of baseball. San Diego will make things interesting in the NL West, which is unquestionably the best division in the league with the Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks also playing well.