The Padres are making a push. by Nick Pivetta He is scheduled to depart on Sunday due to arm fatigue, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego’s staff ace was scheduled to hold a standard bullpen session this afternoon. Acee wrote that Pivetta should be out of the bullpen within a few days and could return to play next week, but that too has been delayed.
I don’t think there’s really anything to worry about. Pitchers are still building arm strength at this stage of spring training. Pivetta also holds the strongest durability record of any pitcher in the league. Aside from illness, he has been on the injured list only once in his MLB career. This means he missed a month in early 2024 due to a flexor strain. He returned without issue and had the best season of his career in San Diego last year.
If the pause lasts more than a few days, it’s likely the Padres will reconsider how they order their season-opening rotation. San Diego has not announced who will get the ball. Tarik Skubal and the Tigers on March 26. Pivetta would be a solid choice after Cy Young went 6th. He has made two starts this spring and threw 43 pitches on Tuesday. michael king, Joe Musgrove and Randy Vasquez Expect to follow him in the rotation. There is an open competition for the fifth starting role.
A more notable camp story is the health of utility players. Song Seong-moon. The former KBO star tweaked his right oblique muscle during offseason training. Song was cleared early in camp and appeared in 7 spring training games, hitting .250 with 1 home run over 19 at-bats. He felt new pressure in his oblique area during Thursday’s game and was lifted after two at-bats.
Songs weren’t played on Fridays and were shown every day. Coach Craig Stammen told Acee that the team will approach the situation with more caution now that the firing line has been blazed twice. He pointed out that it was more common pain than could be traced to a single swing, which likely meant a more serious strain. Nonetheless, Song’s opening day status is again in question. If that person is absent, Mason McCoy or Will Wagner Can assume a utility role.
Song Joong-ki, Korea’s second and third baseman, made his first professional start as a shortstop in yesterday’s game. The Padres also had their outfielders undergo training to build more defensive versatility. they will have Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado In the lineup most days at each of Song’s primary positions.
Cronenworth is off to a strong start in camp, hitting .353 in his first 18 at-bats. He hit his first exhibition home run in Thursday’s 27-6 rout of the Mariners. MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell wrote that the long ball came to left-center field. Although not generally noteworthy, left-handed hitter Cronenworth has never hit a home run into an opposing field during the regular season. He has a total of 80 long balls in six seasons, all of which have gone to the full side.
One exhibition home run isn’t going to suddenly make Cronenworth a formidable all-field threat. This came from a Double-A pitcher in a windy game. The team hit 12 home runs in total. Still, it’s a positive indicator that’s consistent with some adjustments Cronenworth made to his weight shift and bat path over the winter. Cassavell talks to veteran infielder and first-year hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. about the adjustments Padres fans will want to read in full.
