The San Diego Padres are still pushing to land Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade at the deadline, but they may have hit a significant hurdle in their negotiations following a recent injury update. MacKenzie Gore, former Padres top prospect and a potential trade chip in the Soto sweepstakes has landed on the 15-day IL, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. 

The Padres placed Gore on the 15-day IL due to left elbow inflammation. Gore indicated after his last start, from which he was removed in the fifth inning, that he'd been dealing with some discomfort in his elbow. It seems that the discomfort was significant enough to warrant a stint on the shelf.

In a corresponding move, the Padres have recalled Dinelson Lamet, who will take up Gore's place in the starting rotation.

The Padres had been considered one of the top landing spots for Soto at the trade deadline, though it was assumed that the Nationals would be interested in acquiring Gore in the trade. While that's still a possibility, the young hurler landing on the IL may give Washington cold feet in regards to trading for him, which could impact the Padres' ability to get a deal done for the trade deadline's top prize.

The Nationals are believed to be commanding a mix of high-upside prospects and young MLB talent in any Soto deal, making Gore a perfect candidate for the Padres to balance the scales in any trade talks. The 23-year-old has featured in1 6 games this season, making 13 starts. He's registered a 4.50 ERA with 72 strikeouts across 70.0 innings on the mound, but has struggled to limit walks, surrendering 37 bases on balls.

The Padres certainly aren't out of the Soto sweepstakes following Gore's injury, but the potential loss of a key trade chip may make things more difficult for GM AJ Preller to navigate.