Padres' Mike Shildt Provides Another Concerning Update on Michael King

The Padres scratched King from his May 24 start against the Atlanta Braves and placed him on the injured list the following day with right shoulder inflammation, later revealed to be a pinched nerve.

Before his departure to the injured list, King was the Padres best pitcher, posting a 2.59 ERA though 10 starts while striking out 64 batters in 55.2 innings. He also recorded his first ever complete game shutout before his injury.

King became a full-time starter for the Padres in 2024 after coming from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto trade that offseason, and became one of the best arms in the Natioinal League. He had a 2.95 ERA through 30 starts, striking out 200 batters for the first time in his career. His efforts earned him seventh place in NL Cy Young award voting and placed him on the All-MLB Second Team.

Reports on King's injury have listed several different timetables, with the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee suggesting he could miss six or more weeks and The Athletic's Dennis Lin stating he could miss time through the All-Star Break.

Ryan Bergert has filled in as the Padres' fifth starter in King's absence.

The Padres will hope for a quicker recovery from King, as they are in the midst of battling for first place in the NL West.

The San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are tied for first two games ahead of the Padres, and the Padres will have a four game series against the Dodgers beginning next Monday. Before that, however, the Padres have two games still to play against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the first of which is Saturday at 4:15 p.m. PT.

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