Padres' Jeremiah Estrada Appears Nowhere Near Return From Elbow Injury

The San Diego Padres are dealing with injuries to multiple players on the pitching staff this season.

One of them is reliever Jeremiah Estrada, who was placed on the injured list due to elbow tendinitis just under two weeks ago.

The right-hander has been playing catch, but he seems to be nowhere near a return to the mound. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Estrada has no timetable for a return right now.

"He said the discomfort in his elbow has largely dissipated and he feels stronger. The Padres are encouraged, but there is no timetable for his return," Acee wrote.

Estrada said he wasn't trying to rush anything in his recovery, which is also playing into the longer timeline. San Diego needs the right-hander to be fully healthy when he gets back to avoid any unnecessary lingering issues over the remainder of the season.

Before Estrada went on the injured list, he struggled for the Padres, posting an ERA of 5.14 over seven innings of work this season. Something was clearly off with the right-hander, and it showed on the mound.

In addition, Estrada' velocity on his fastball dipped, going from 97.9 mph last year to just 95.0 this season. The elbow issue likely caused some of this, but it's still something that the Padres will have to look out for once he does return.

Estrada joined the Padres before the 2024 season, and he has been a solid contributor for them. In 2024, the right-hander posted an ERA of 2.95 with 94 strikeouts over 61 innings of work.

Last season, Estrada put up an ERA of 3.45 with 108 strikeouts across 73 innings pitched, showing great consistency on the mound. San Diego entered the season with high hopes for the right-hander, so his injury was a tough one so early in the year.

Luckily for the Padres, the team does have a very strong bullpen, so they have the luxury of allowing Estrada time to recover. Led by star closer Mason Miller, the San Diego relief pitchers have helped this team stay afloat amid injuries and inconsistency from the starting rotation.

San Diego activated Jason Adam to the roster when they placed Estrada on the injured list, and the team hasn't skipped a beat. The hope is that the team will get Estrada back soon, but for now, they will allow him to regain full health before returning to the mound.

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