The San Diego Padres are set to play the Seattle Mariners in a few hours for the first spring training game of the season. The players have been in Arizona for over a week, prepping for the start of the season.
On Thursday, during a live batting practice session, Padres reliever Yuki Matsui was forced to leave early after suffering tightness in his left groin. Hopefully, this news is just precautionary and not a serious issue. Padres manager Craig Stammen said Matsui is now questionable for the World Baseball Classic, which begins on March 5.
Matsui is a reliever for Team Japan and was on the 2023 roster when they won the gold-medal in the WBC against the United States. The 30-year-old is one of the better relievers on the Padres and has been used a ton over his two seasons with the team. He has pitched in 60+ games with a career 3.86 ERA in 126 innings. Stammen and the Padres may now prefer that Matsui not play in the WBC so he can recover and be 100% for the regular season.
San Diego's bullpen is very good. Even after losing Robert Suarez to the Atlanta Braves this offseason, the team still retains Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jason Adam, and Jeremiah Estrada. Matsui is a big part of it alongside a few others who may be forced to step up early in the season if Matsui misses time. Wandy Peralta is another southpaw who could make the Opening Day roster. David Morgan, Ty Adcock, Bryan Hoeing, Alex Jacob, and Bradgley Rodriguez have a chance to make it as well.
