Padres Manager Wouldn't Be Surprised if AJ Preller Adds Pitcher to Replace Nick Pivetta

San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen is thinking like the rest of us.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller is bound to make a move following right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta's injury, right?

"A.J. and aggressive are synonyms," Stammen said.

"A.J.'s going to do his thing. He's already done his thing with this roster. He's put together a great roster and he never stops thinking about it, never stops trying to improve it. That's why it's fun to work with A.J. and be in the fight with him."

Pivetta landed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation after leaving his latest start against the Colorado Rockies over the weekend with an elbow issue. There's no set timeline for the pitcher to return, but Stammen told reporters he expects Pivetta to pitch again this season.

“He’s definitely going to take some time off throwing, let it rest, let it heal and then get back on the throwing program and strengthening program. So it’s probably going to be more weeks and maybe months than it is just specific days," Stammen said.

"He’s going to take some time. But we feel pretty confident he’s going to get back this year.”

Pivetta was sporting a 4.50 ERA with 24 strikeouts across 16 innings of work this season, but had allowed just two runs over his last 13 innings. He played a pivotal role for the Padres in 2025, posting a 2.87 ERA and emerging as the team's ace in his first season with the team.

The right-hander was poised to do the same in 2026, but Pivetta is now sidelined for the foreseeable future.

Given the recent news, it would only make sense that Preller is in pursuit of another hurler. In fact, there's been confirmation of this as there have made multiple reports stating the Padres are interested in signing free agent pitcher Lucas Giolito.

For the Boston Red Sox last season, Giolito produced a 3.41 ERA with 121 strikeouts across 145 innings pitched.

The right-hander recently told Rob Bradford on the Baseball Isn't Boring podcast that he has been throwing regularly despite the stalled free agency process.

“I've had a few of those moments over the last like couple months where it's like I planned something for the weekend. And it's like, whoa, what happens if — but no, we're still here,” Giolito told Bradford.

Giolito seems like the perfect candidate to join a thinning Padres rotation. Preller loves taking a seemingly forgotten player and turning him into a star in San Diego.

That could be the case for the right-hander.

What Does Padres Rotation Look Like After Nick Pivetta Injury?

The Padres rotation still features Michael King, Randy Vásquez, Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez. As for Pivetta's replacement, the Friars are expected to call up Matt Waldron to pitch during their next series against the Los Angeles Angels.

The right-hander began the season on the injured list after undergoing hemorrhoid surgery in the spring. He's done well in his rehab starts at Triple-A, tossing 12 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts.

He's expected to take the mound this weekend for his first MLB appearance since June 30, 2025.

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