What started as a mere shoulder stiffness for the San Diego Padres star pitcher has now turned into a full blown inflammation.
Despite the preventive measures, he has been on the injury list for half a month.
Recently, the Padres placed the ace right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. The blow came prior to the team’s Sunday game against the Braves.
Originally scheduled to pitch on Saturday, he was scratched shortly before the game after experiencing shoulder stiffness that morning.
Michael King is going on the injured list pic.twitter.com/dtP201tQtX
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 25, 2025
Manager Mike Shildt noted that they are still trying to assess the issue, specifically related to some weakness in King’s scapula, which is crucial for pitchers. Though the situation isn’t common, the medical team is focused on understanding it better.
Fortunately, Shildt indicated that King didn’t feel increased discomfort on Sunday compared to Saturday, and there seemed to be a slight improvement.
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Padres Michael King’s Performance Run Cut Short With Shoulder Injury
While he would not be pitching anytime soon in the next 15 days, Padres’ Michael King had an impressive run lately.
San Diego got him in the trade package from the Yankees in the Juan Soto deal. Since then, King has truly exceeded expectations during his first season in San Diego.
After switching from a reliever to a starter at the end of the 2023 season, he continued to shine in 2024 with an impressive 2.95 ERA over 173 2/3 innings. His performance earned him a seventh-place finish in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
After today's win, Mike Shildt discussed Michael King's shoulder injury that landed him on the IL and expressed hope that he'll only miss one start: pic.twitter.com/yzLzfrepcg
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) May 25, 2025
In his first ten starts this year, King has pitched 55 2/3 innings with an impressive 2.59 ERA, a 28.4% strikeout rate, and a 7.6% walk rate. While those numbers definitely improve his already strong performance last year, he’s faced some challenges.
His whiff rate has dipped, and he’s been allowing a bit more hard contact than before. Still, he remains a key player for the Padres. Additionally, he has teamed up with Nick Pivetta to form a powerful one-two punch at the top of their rotation.
Also Read: Yankees Linked To Diamondbacks Power Hitter Ahead Of The MLB Trade Deadline
