Padres Have Made Decision on Yuki Matsui Following Conclusion of Rehab Assignment

The Padres need to add him to the roster or risk losing him.

Sep 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Yuki Matsui (1) pumps his fist after pitching during the fourth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres will be activating left-handed pitcher Yuki Matsui off the injured list on Tuesday, manager Craig Stammen said ahead of Monday's series opener against the San Francisco Giants.

The correspoding move remains to be seen.

Padres manager Craig Stammen says LHP Yuki Matsui will get activated tomorrow.

— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) May 5, 2026

Matsui opened the 2026 season on the injured list due to a left groin strain he suffered during spring training. Matsui has spent the last month on a rehab assignment, and officially completed it this week.

With Matsui ineligible to spend another day on the rehab assignment, the Padres needed to make a decision regarding his spot on the team.

Matsui was unable to be optioned to the minor leagues without his consent. Thus, he needed to be added to the active roster or released to waivers, where another team could have picked him up.

The Padres have decided to add him to the roster. That means someone is either being sent down to the minor leagues or heading to the injured list. That information will come ahead of Tuesday's game.

Matsui, 30, joined the Padres on a five-year, $28 million deal ahead of the 2024 season after spending 10 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan.

In 2024, Matsui made 64 appearances out of the bullpen for the Padres, sporting a 3.73 ERA with 69 strikeouts over 62.2 innings pitched.

Last year, Matsui made 61 relief appearances for the Padres, finishing with a 3.98 ERA and 61 strikeouts over 63.1 innings of work. He gave up two more home runs and walked six more batters than he did in 2024, but recorded his first career save at the MLB level.

Matsui's entire rehab assignment took place in Triple-A, where he made 11 appearances, allowing seven runs over 12.2 innings for a 4.97 ERA. He had 14 strikeouts to three walks while allowing opposing batters to hit .327 against him.

Who Will Yuki Matsui Replace on the Padres Roster?

Assuming no one is going on the injured list, the Padres are likely deciding between sending down left-hander Kyle Hart and right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez, as both can be optioned to the minor leagues.

Hart, 33, seems to be the more likely candidate, as he has a 5.51 ERA across 16.1 innings pitched this season.

Rodriguez, 22, has been a breakout star in the bullpen this year, sporting a 1.76 ERA across 15.1 innings.

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