Los Angeles – Michael King, the starter n ° 1 by San Diego Padres and a key to their hopes of staying in post -season affirmations, should stay away at least at the stars break, confirmed the manager Mike Shildt on Wednesday.
“I think it’s quite precise,” said Shildt when asked for this potential calendar. “I mean, I don’t think we can even put a date on it.”
King has not launched or did much more than playing light catches since he woke up on May 24 with discomfort in his shoulder. The right-hander was scratched by a departure scheduled that day against the brave of Atlanta and was then diagnosed with a pinched nerve. Although the paadres did not disclose their conclusions concerning the origin of the injury, Shildt said that King was relatively unprecedented among the players of the major leagues.
“It’s just a nerve that is difficult to access, to treat,” said Shildt on Wednesday. “There is no real treatment clearly. It’s just about trying to treat it more holistic.”
The headliner of the return of San Diego in his trade in the star Voltueur in December 2023, Juan Soto, King recorded 173 2/3 innings and an average of 2.95 made last season. The former New York Yankees lift then delivered seven laundering executives during the victory of San Diego against the Braves in the Wild Card series of the National League. This season, he started the day of the opening and provided an MPM of 2.59 in 10 departures before leaving on the injured list.
Shildt said King continued to keep his arm “move as best he can” by launching plyometric bullets and playing a light socket with real baseball. “But it is his tolerance and his sensation,” added Shildt. “It’s not like, hey, he will get 15 throws at 60 feet and go to 70 feet. We are not close to that.
“It is really a question of simply obtaining the treatment, of staying in contact with the medical group, of continuing to find the best practices to try to release the nerve … looking for a marginal improvement, which we obtain. But they are gradually small (steps), and it is more rest and determine the best way to treat what he has.”
King, 30, could be the most coveted launcher in the free agent class this winter. For the moment, however, his injury obscures his status.
King and the Padres avoided wage arbitration in January, accepting a $ 7.75 million contract which includes a mutual option of $ 15 million for 2026 and a redemption of $ 3.75 million in this option. At the time of the agreement, which was designed to help the paadres with cash problems, it was heard that King would almost certainly refuse the option.
The story of King’s injuries includes a fracture of the elbow with the Yankees who ended his 2022 season. With the Padres, he had not pointed out any significant problem that that morning in Atlanta last month, more than three weeks ago.
“The longer it is, the longer it takes to come back,” said Shildt.
Although King’s recovery calendar remains uncertain, there is hope – but no certainty – that another key starter could make his debut of the season during the stars break. Yu Darvish launched a simulated match on Saturday, and the right-hander should launch another this weekend in San Diego. Darvish, 38, did not present the majors this season due to recurring inflammation of the elbow.
(Top Photo: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)
