Padres Manager Reveals 'Biggest Worry' That Could Derail 2026 Season

The San Diego Padres have a starting pitching problem.

Starters Lucas Giolito (right elbow inflammation), Matt Waldron (right brachialis muscle injury), and Germán Márquez (right forearm nerve irritation) are all on the injured list. Their starts to the season weren't exactly inspiring when healthy, but they provided some much-needed depth.

Making matters worse, starting pitcher Joe Musgrove, who missed the entirety of the 2025 season following Tommy John surgery, is offering a not-so-hopeful update regarding his recovery process after suffering a setback during spring training.

Nick Pivetta, who has been out since mid-April with a right elbow flexor strain, also remains without a timetable to return from his injury. He's said to be a few weeks ahead of Musgrove, though.

"They've got a long way to go," Padres manager Craig Stammen warned about the two pitchers.

MLB.com's AJ Cassavell projected that neither Pivetta nor Musgrove would impact the Padres until August, meaning the team has well over a month of treading water before adding two reliable starters to their rotation.

Their current starters are struggling, not only with results but also going deep into games.

Stammen, who spent six seasons with the Padres as a reliever, has serious cause for concern regarding how the lack of capable starting pitchers could affect the Padres bullpen.

“It’s my biggest worry, because I lived it,” Stammen said regarding an overworked bullpen. “I know what that was like, and I know how we were feeling at the end of the season. … My job as a manager is to try to protect the bullpen in that way, so they are a strength for the entire season, not just in May and June.”

Despite the Padres' struggles — including a five-game losing streak — they still find themselves in the middle of the wild-card race. San Diego is currently two games back entering a four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“We’ve definitely underachieved in all aspects — probably besides the bullpen,” starting pitcher Michael King, whose 3.55 ERA would be his worst since 2021, said. “So you look up at the record, and you’re, I guess, satisfied, with how poorly we would all say we’ve been playing.”

The Aug. 3 trade deadline could offer the Padres an opportunity to add a reliable starter, but they'll have to trudge through a tough upcoming month to prove that they're a team with viable postseason hopes.

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