Padres Considering Surprise Griffin Canning Move: Report

The San Diego Padres are considering a surprise move regarding right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning.

According to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, the Padres are "leaning toward" activating him off the injured list on Sunday to make his season debut.

Lin reports that the decision "could depend on the availability of other pitchers."

The Padres are leaning toward activating Griffin Canning for his debut tomorrow, though the final call could depend on the availability of other pitchers. Canning went five innings and 68 pitches on Tuesday. Sunday would mark 30 days since he began his rehab assignment.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) May 2, 2026

Canning is recovering from a ruptured left Achilles tendon he suffered last June as a member of the New York Mets.

He was in the midst of a career-best year, going 7-3 with a 3.77 ERA across 76.1 innings of work.

The Padres signed him to a one-year deal this offseason that guarantees him $4.25 million.

How Has Griffin Canning Performed on His Rehab Assignment?

Sunday will mark 30 days since Canning began his rehab assignment for the Padres.

Overall, he's made five starts, allowing six earned runs over 15 innings for a 3.60 ERA. He has 18 strikeouts to 12 walks while allowing two home runs. All five starts came at Triple-A El Paso.

Canning built up to five innings and 68 pitches in his most recent outing. If the Padres elected not to activate him before Sunday, he would make another rehab start at Triple-A.

Griffin Canning was outstanding in last night's rehab start against the Albuquerque Isotopes. He earned the win in his fifth rehab start of the season and is now 1-1 with a 3.56 ERA (15.0 IP).

5.0 IP | 3 H | 1 R | 0 ER | 1 BB | 4 K@EPChihuahuas | #FearTheEars | #ForTheFaithful pic.twitter.com/VerPSHPQaA
— Ian Napetian (@ian_napetian) April 29, 2026

How Would Griffin Canning Factor Into Padres Rotation?

The Padres currently have a five-man rotation consisting of Michael King, Randy Váquez, Walker Buehler, Germán Márquez and Matt Waldron.

King (2.41 ERA) and Vásquez (2.94 ERA) have carried the rotation. The other three pitchers are very much on the chopping block.

Buehler, who joined the Padres on a minor league deal this offseason and is earning $1.5 million, has a 5.40 ERA across 25 innings.

Márquez, who joined the Padres on a one-year, $1.75 million major league deal this offseason, has a 5.76 ERA across 29.2 innings.

Waldron, who opened the season on the injured list and replaced the injured Nick Pivetta in the rotation, has a 9.88 ERA across 13.2 innings.

Canning could serve as a replacement for any of these three pitchers if the Padres felt ready to move on. Moreover, the Padres could add Canning as a sixth starter for the time being, and then make a decision in a couple weeks when Lucas Giolito is ready to join the rotation.

Either way, Canning would serve as an upgrade over all three of these pitchers, making it a no-brainer move for San Diego to add him to the rotation as soon as possible.

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