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The San Diego Padres are facing uncertainty as they approach Sunday’s game against the Texas Rangers with a notable gap in their starting rotation. All eyes were on Yu Darvish, who has been sidelined with an elbow injury and had raised hopes for a return.
However, manager Mike Shildt tempered expectations, describing Darvish's availability as a “coin flip” and adding, “My guess is probably not.”
Darvish has not pitched in the major leagues yet this season. Although he threw a 64-pitch simulated game over four innings Tuesday in Lake Elsinore, he has not followed up with a bullpen session since. That bullpen is now expected to occur sometime before Saturday’s game at Petco Park, effectively ruling out the possibility of him starting Sunday. Shildt acknowledged that while Darvish is progressing, the club might prefer he completes a minor-league rehab outing before rejoining the big-league rotation.
Sunday’s vacant rotation spot has the Padres juggling options as their packed schedule offers little breathing room. Right-hander Ryan Bergert, who is recovering from a forearm contusion, is not eligible to return from the injured list until July 9. He threw a bullpen session on Friday and is expected to throw 50–60 pitches in a rehab outing for Triple-A El Paso on Sunday. Matt Waldron, who was recently optioned to El Paso, is also unavailable unless replacing an injured player.
This leaves the Padres with limited options. While the current nine-man bullpen is an option, Shildt admitted it’s not likely given the current workload.
“We have a bullpen with nine guys, but we’re also in Game 3 of a 10-day stretch consistently, so that’s probably not likely,” Shildt said. “There’s some guys that you can do your research on that can come up and potentially grab a start from the minor league side.”
As a result, the team may need to turn to its minor league system for Sunday’s starter.
Among Triple-A El Paso’s options, Kyle Hart stands out. He holds a 4.67 ERA in nine starts at El Paso and a 6.66 ERA across six MLB starts this season. Hart last pitched on June 28 and is not listed among the weekend’s El Paso starters. Another candidate, Omar Cruz, carries a 5.62 ERA over 41⅔ innings in the minors and is scheduled to start Saturday. His recent form, 9.50 ERA in his last 18 innings, doesn’t inspire confidence.
Further down the pipeline, Double-A San Antonio features right-hander Henry Baez, the Texas League’s reigning Pitcher of the Month after posting a 1.13 ERA in five June starts. Baez is scheduled to start Sunday and is on the 40-man roster. Braden Nett, also with San Antonio, has a 1.47 ERA over his last six outings but is not on the 40-man. Nett, ranked the No. 8 prospect in the system by MLB.com, is set to pitch Saturday.
Meanwhile, right-hander Eduarniel Nunez, who debuted Wednesday after posting a 3.57 ERA in Double-A and 7⅓ scoreless innings in Triple-A, was called up to replace Waldron. Nunez is part of the current bullpen but could be optioned back if a starter is added for Sunday.
Adding to the roster updates, RHP Logan Gillaspie cleared waivers and was outrighted to El Paso, where he started Friday’s game. Michael King (shoulder) is showing progress but is still not throwing from a mound.
