Padres Manager Provides Injury Update on Michael King, Who Has No Timeline to Return

San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt spoke about right-handed starting pitcher Michael King's injury which landed him on the 15-day injured list May 25.

“We’ve learned that nothing structurally has taken place of any concern at all,” Shildt said. “Rotator cuff, the cap, anything with the shoulder is very stable and structurally very good, so that’s obviously great. There’s nothing circulatory that’s concerning as far as thoracic, or anything like that. So that’s clearly good.

“Now we’ve been able to locate what the issue is, and it’s more nerve related. We’re trying to get a handle on how to release that nerve a little bit. … We’ve got some really smart people, including Michael, involved with the process that will get that going as soon as possible. How soon that is is to the discretion of that nerve.”

Shildt did not give an exact timeline on King's return, saying he could return "any time between days, weeks."

The Padres scratched King before his start against the Atlanta Braves May 24, and placed him on the injured list with right shoulder inflammation, now revealed to be a pinched nerve. King's absence has dealt a major blow to the Padres' rotation, as he has the lowest ERA (2.59), hits per nine innings (6.5) and highest ERA+ (156) among their starters this season.

King established himself as a starter in his first full season with the Padres in 2024 after coming from the New York Yankees as a piece in the Juan Soto trade, starting 30 games and posting a 2.95 ERA and eclipsing 200 strikeouts in a season for the first time. He placed seventh in National League Cy Young award voting and received All-MLB Second Team honors for his breakout season.

The Padres rotation grew even thinner after King's injury, as he joined starters Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove and Matt Waldron on the injured list. The Padres will hope to see King return sooner rather than later, as they have two stretches of 13 consecutive games in June, and will need all the depth they can muster to remain in the race for first place in the NL West.

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