Padres Manager Provides Ominous Update on Michael King Injury

The San Diego Padres recently placed Michael King on the 15-day injured list with shoulder inflammation.

After missing his scheduled start on Saturday due to waking up with shoulder stiffness, he has since trended downwards with an IL stint for shoulder inflammation. Manager Mike Shildt spoke on his star pitcher but couldn't exactly provide a timeline on what will happen throughout the IL process.

“We’re still trying to figure out exactly what’s taking place with the [scapula],” Shildt said. “He’s feeling marginally better today and we’re getting our head around it and getting the medical team to look at it with the doctor. So we’re still exploring what it is and what it looks like long-term.”

This injury comes at a time where the Padres are looking down the barrel of 13 straight games starting Friday. Strategically, the team is giving Nick Pivetta an extra day of rest ahead of the stretch in the form of recalling southpaw Kyle Hart from Triple-A to start Wednesday's game against the Miami Marlins.

Hart started the season in San Diego's pitching rotation, but got off to a rough 6.00 ERA start over his first 21 innings pitched. Since he was optioned to Triple-A, the southpaw has a 2.29 ERA across 19.2 innings.

Hart will likely take on a bigger role amid King's absense, but it will be a tall task given the right-hander's effectiveness this season.

King has a 2.59 ERA across 10 starts, throwing 64 strikeouts to just 17 walks. He has an ERA+ of 154.

In Hart's five starts in The Show this season, his ERA+ was 67.

Hart first appeared in an MLB game with the Boston Red Sox in 2020. He made four appearances, but allowed 19 earned runs in just 11 innings. After bouncing around the minor league track with Boston, the Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies, he found himself pitching in Korea Baseball Organization in 2024.

The southpaw had a dominant 2.29 ERA across 157 innings last season which is largely why he became a member of the Padres. Hart must channel his previous dominance as he prepares to take the hill on Wednesday against the Marlins.

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