Padres' Nick Pivetta Breaks Silence After Concerning Injury Setback

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta spoke to reporters for the first time since abruptly walking off the mound after 14 pitches in his first rehab assignment earlier this week.

“First two guys, I felt really good, strong, healthy,” Pivetta said to reporters on Friday. “Threw a couple pitches, continued to kind of feel the same type of sensation, and then I just kind of got to a point where I didn’t really want to pitch anymore, and I just kind off walked off the mound.”

"Just didn't feel right," he added. "I didn't really want to push it."

Pivetta has been out since early April, when he left his fourth start of the season with a flexor tendon injury.

It's been a slow recovery process for Pivetta, but one that appeared to finally be nearing its end. Suddenly, his timeline is even more unclear than it was before.

“I think for me, just day-to-day,” Pivetta said when asked how encouraged he is he'll be able to return this season. “I played catch today, which felt good. I’ll play catch tomorrow, and it’ll feel good, and we’ll just kind of go from there and just go with how I feel each day. I’m not going to put a timetable on anything. I’m not going to say I’m going to throw a bullpen X, Y or Z. I’m just going to play catch again tomorrow and move forward.”

When Pivetta walked off the mound, there was immediate concern about a potentially significant setback. However, he was able to regroup and throw another 20-30 pitches in the bullpen, sparking some optimism about him continuing his progression.

“Went through my evaluation [and] nothing really sparked anything for me that kind of created the same thing. So we just decided to go throw some balls into the wall and see how it turned out," he said of the decision to throw more after the initial feeling in his elbow. "Was able to throw about 10 to 15 good fastballs at a good clip, as best I could with no cleats on, and then I threw a couple curveballs and one sweeper and wasn’t able to recreate any same sensation or any feeling.

“So take it from what it is and how I’m feeling day to day and just kind of move forward.”

Pivetta needs to return by Aug. 22 to avoid triggering a clause in his contract that would allow the Padres to void the final two years and $32 million on his deal.

He declined to discuss how that's impacting his return timeline.

"I'm not gonna talk about it right now," he said.

Pivetta had a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts over 16 innings this season before the injury. Last year, he carried the Padres' rotation, going 13-5 with a 2.87 ERA over 181.2 innings en route to finishing sixth in Cy Young award voting in the National League.

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