Padres Get Major Jason Adam Update as Return Looms

An already elite bullpen has a massive reinforcement on the way.

Jun 29, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Jason Adam (40) looks on after being relieved against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres have just 13 games to go in the regular season and currently sit with a 2.5-game advantage for the final wild-card spot in the National League. They are also just 1.5 games away from the top two wild-card spots amid their dominant seven-game winning streak.

They've been leaning heavily on their bullpen, which has been without one of its best players for a majority of the 2026 season.

Jason Adam was placed on the injured list in early-July with a shoulder strain, and was transferred from the 15-day to 60-day IL one month later. He is eligible to return whenever he is healthy enough to do so since his original placement was retroactive to June 30.

Last Monday marked a major milestone in Adam's recovery as he threw his first bullpen session amid his recovery, and Sunday was another important action item crossed off his to-do list with his rehab outing with Triple-A El Paso.

Manager Craig Stammen spoke on Adam before the outing, hoping for the best.

“Hopefully he has a good clean outing today,” Stammen said. “Feels good, and then is able to get ready for his next one."

It was more than a good clean outing on Sunday as Adam threw a perfect inning in relief for the Triple-A affiliate. Of his 11 pitches, seven were strikes, including a lone strikeout before his time on the mound was finished.

Stammen said he'll likely see one more outing before the team considers him an option.

Adm has been one of the most formidable arms in a lethal bullpen for quite some time now.

Last season, Adam tossed a career-low 1.93 ERA across 65.1 innings of work and had a swing-and-miss rate of 33.3% (in the 94th percentile of active pitchers). This was more than enough for his first All-Star selection, but his year abruptly ended after he ruptured his left quad tendon on Sept. 1.

After opening up the 2026 campaign on the injured list, Adam picked up where he left off and has been pitching to the tune of a 2.51 ERA across 32.1 innings of work since his April 10 season debut.

The Padres already rely on their bullpen among the most of anyone in MLB this year, and that is only going to become more constant come October. A return from Adam doesn't just give more arms less wear-and-tear during the most important stretch of the season, but does so at an All-Star caliber level at his best.

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