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It is all hands on deck for the San Diego Padres in a win-or-go-home NLDS Game 5 matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Ahead of the game, one Padres pitcher has made it clear to manager Mike Shildt that he is ready to go.
Starting pitcher Michael King, who threw 77 pitches in the Padres' Game 3 victory on Tuesday, is doing absolutely everything he can to make himself available for a potential relief appearance per AJ Cassavel of MLB.com.
“We have a stacked bullpen, so it’s not, like, a need. But I’m still begging. … I was a reliever,” King said. “Conversations have been had. I’m not getting the answers that I’d like to get. But I’m continuing to try to be available.”
Shildt answered vaguely when he was asked if he would consider using King in Game 5 on just two-days rest, per Cassavel.
“We never say never,” Shildt said. “We'll leave it at that.”
King is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Friday, so it could make sense for Shildt to cancel that and have his starter ready in relief. If King's workout is indeed cancelled, he could save his pitches for a potential relief appearance and get his side work done in-game.
If Game 5 starter Yu Darvish is knocked out early or the Padres are up late and need a run, King, who primarily pitched out of the bullpen for the New York Yankees, would be a great option for Shildt to turn to. In 40 relief appearances last season, King had a 3.08 ERA and recorded six saves.
Michael King's 2024 season with the San Diego Padres
Expectations were high heading into the season for King, who was the centerpiece of the trade that sent Juan Soto to the Yankees. King pitched just about as well as anyone could have hoped for. Through 30 regular season starts, King went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA and 201 strikeouts.
King was especially dominant in the second half of the season, recording a 2.15 ERA and leading the surging Padres to the first National League Wild Card spot. With King's emergence, the Padres have had one of the top pitching staffs in all of baseball and become legitimate World Series contenders.
King's best moment of the season came in Game 1 of the Wild Card round against the Atlanta Braves, when he pitched seven shutout innings while striking out 12 and allowing just five hits.
In a perfect world, the Padres will not need to turn to King in Game 5. However, if the opportunity presents itself, it appears that he will be ready to step up.
