Padres make concerning Nick Pivetta injury move ahead of Mariners game

The San Diego Padres are preparing to face the Seattle Mariners for a 3-game series at Petco Park. Ahead of the game, the Padres placed right-handed starter Nick Pivetta on the 15-day IL and recalled reliever Alex Jacob to add an extra bullpen arm until this coming Friday, when Matt Waldron will start on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.

“We have recalled RHP Alek Jacob from Triple-A El Paso and placed RHP Nick Pivetta on the 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation (retro to April 13).”

Pivetta left his start on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies after he seemed to have discomfort in his right elbow. His velocity was down as well, which is not a good sign. His fastball usually sits around 95-96, but against the Rockies, he was touching 92, and manager Craig Stammen saw enough and took him out with the medical staff.

This is a brutal blow to the Padres as their ace is now out for hopefully just a few weeks. The Padres cannot afford to lose him for the season when they still don’t have a healthy Joe Musgrove or Griffin Canning yet.

Pivetta’s next scheduled start would be this Saturday against the Angels, but the Friars are going with Waldron on Friday to give German Marquez an extra day off, so he will likely start Saturday instead. Alex Jacob is in the bullpen in the meantime to give SD an advantage in this series against Seattle.

As of now, the Padres’ rotation consists of Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Walker Buehler, Waldron, and Marquez. Kyle Hart is the long reliever in the bullpen, and he has done a great job so far in 2026.

The post Padres make concerning Nick Pivetta injury move ahead of Mariners game appeared first on ClutchPoints.