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Padres Provide Positive Injury Update on Former 13-Win Starter

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Jun 1, 2025 12:51 AM ET

The Padres have been anxiously awaiting news on Michael King's shoulder injury, which has kept him out of big league action since May 18.

King underwent tests to rule out any structural issues to his thoracic outlet or rotator cuff. In his professional career, King has never experienced a shoulder injury, with his only blemishes being a season-ending elbow injury in 2022 and a finger injury in 2021.

Fortunately manager Mike Shildt sent a positive update on King's shoulder after a formal diagnosis was made.

King was diagnosed with a pinched nerve in his shoulder, and is expected to resume light throwing this week.

No structural issues were found for King, but a timetable for his return remains unclear. King is having a resurgent year, pitching to a 2.59 ERA, the lowest in his career since he became a full-time starter.

This positive update has implications for the rest of the league, as King was mentioned widely in trade talks along with Dylan Cease well into spring training. The expectation was that if the Padres faltered to begin the year or got an unrefusable offer from a contender, that King could be up for grabs.

King came into the ballpark on May 22 and told the media that he felt like he "slept on {his shoulder} wrong." He was scratched from his start on May 24, and was put on the 15-day injured list as a predominantly precautionary measure.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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