San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta exited his minor league rehabilitation outing with Low-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday after just 14 pitches, raising immediate concerns about the team's pitching depth. Pivetta, who had been working back from a right elbow flexor strain that had limited him to four starts, walked off the mound in the fourth inning.
Pivetta allowed one hit and threw eight of his 14 pitches for strikes, reaching 95 mph with his fastball, before shaking his head and departing toward the dugout. No immediate diagnosis or explanation for his departure was provided.
This development comes as a significant setback for the Padres, who had been counting on Pivetta to bolster their rotation in the second half of the season. He was the team's most reliable starter last season, finishing with a 13-5 record and a 2.87 ERA over 181 2/3 innings.
The team had made efforts to reinforce its pitching staff on Monday by acquiring former Cy Young winner Robbie Ray and former All-Star Casey Mize. Ray, who joined the Padres with a 10-6 record and a 3.08 ERA, and Mize, who had a 2.70 ERA over 86 2/3 innings, were initially seen as reinforcements for a playoff push. However, Pivetta's abrupt exit may necessitate their immediate integration into the core rotation.
The Padres entered Tuesday two games behind Arizona and Philadelphia in the National League wild-card race. The severity of Pivetta's apparent setback and the ability of the newly constructed rotation to absorb it could now prove critical to their postseason aspirations.