The San Diego Padres are about to face the Pittsburgh Pirates for a three-game series at Petco Park. Ahead of the series, the Padres received an update on Opening Day starter Michael King.

King was scratched ahead of his start against the Atlanta Braves this past Sunday. It had been rumored that he had slept on his shoulder wrong, however, that is not the case.

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Friars' ace has a pinched nerve and could potentially miss some time. It seems that the team just has no idea what they are dealing with here. They assume he could return in a week or come back after the All-Star break in mid-July. The Padres cannot afford to lose King for an extended period of time. He is the team's top starter and deserved to be named Opening Day starter because of his 2024 campaign.

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Acee mentioned that the team wanted a second opinion on the MRI. That is usually not a good sign. For now, the Padres have made one roster move ahead of the series against the Pirates. Kyle Hart started on Wednesday in place of King.

On the season, King is 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, has 42 K's and 17 walks. He's been a sub-3 ERA pitcher since 2022, and in 2021, his ERA was at a respectable 3.55. King is one of the top right-handed strikeout artists in the game. He usually gives SD a quality start, and replacing his production will be impossible.

If the news turns out worse than imagined, then San Diego could be a team that could trade for a starting pitcher either at or ahead of the trade deadline. The Padres just do not have the pitching depth at the rate they are on now, and if they lose someone else to an injury, their season could be at risk.