Padres Announce Change to Starting Rotation Ahead of Crucial Dodgers Series

When the San Diego Padres awoke Tuesday, pitching was the least of their concerns. Michael King had just thrown seven shutout innings against the Atlanta Braves a day earlier. Everyone in the rotation appeared on turn and healthy.

However, things changed quickly when Lucas Giolito was diagnosed with an elbow injury that sent him to the injured list.

Tuesday's plans didn't change, with left-hander Wandy Peralta tabbed as an opener for right-hander Griffin Canning.

However, the rest of the week has now been impacted by the injury to Giolito.

Looming on the horizon is a huge three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park beginning Friday.

Giolito won't pitch in that series, and possibly a couple more. Right-hander Walker Buehler, who began his career with the Dodgers and helped them win two World Series, won't start Friday as had been planned.

Instead, right-hander Randy Vásquez will start Friday. JP Sears, who was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to take Giolito's spot on the 26-man roster, will start Wednesday against the Braves.

Sears will start tomorrow’s game. Vasquez will start the first game against the Dodgers. #Padres
— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) June 23, 2026

That leaves Buehler and King the likely starters for Saturday and Sunday's games against the Dodgers instead.

With Lucas Giolito on the IL (right elbow inflammation), JP Sears has arrived and is scheduled to start for the Padres tomorrow. That bumps the rest of the rotation back. So Randy Vásquez, Walker Buehler and Michael King (in that order) will face the Dodgers this weekend.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) June 23, 2026

Suddenly, the Padres' pitching staff looks short-handed during what could be their most difficult week on the schedule to this point in the season.

Atlanta (48-29) and Los Angeles (50-29) would be the top seeded teams in the National League if the postseason began today.

Giolito is 2-3 this season with a 5.16 ERA in seven games (five starts and two behind an opener) for the Padres. Sears has yet to appear in a major league game this season, and was 4-3 with a 7.92 ERA in 14 starts with El Paso.

Sears, 30, was struggling mightily with the Chihuahuas, especially against right-handed hitters, who owned a .348/.408/.571 slash line against him. Triple-A lefties were slashing .267/.349/.360 against Sears.

The change to the Padres' rotation plans at least lines up their three best healthy starting pitchers to face the Dodgers. But the prospect of Canning (1-5, 6.64 ERA) and Sears being tasked with the bulk of the innings on back-to-back days against the Braves offers little solace.

As for Giolito, the Padres hope he won't miss too much time. If he does — and Sears doesn't prove to be a viable replacement — the team could look to bring up right-handed pitcher Jhony Brito.

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