Padres Announce Immediate Plans for Nick Pivetta's Return

After the San Diego Padres finished off a 4-3 win over the New York Yankees on Sunday, manager Craig Stammen announced huge news for the immediate future of the team's starting rotation.

Nick Pivetta will be activated from the 60-day injured list and start Monday against the Washington Nationals. Randy Vásquez will head to the bullpen. The Padres will presumably announce corresponding 28- and 40-man roster moves for Pivetta prior to the game Monday.

Pivetta was 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four starts to begin the season when he was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation. He hasn't pitched in a big league game since April 12.

In three minor league rehab games, Pivetta allowed seven hits and three runs across eight innings. He last pitched Aug. 30 for the El Paso Chihuahuas, tossing 4.1 shutout innings in Oklahoma City.

"He's been able to clear all those hurdles and he's feeling good," Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller said Friday on 97.3 The Fan. "He'll be at Petco this weekend and he could be on the active roster sooner rather than later."

AJ Preller joined @BenAndWoods to discuss when Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta could potentially join the Padres:

"Nick is feeling good. He'll be at Petco this weekend and he could be on the active roster sooner rather than later." pic.twitter.com/tp2VsdGMPK
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) September 4, 2026

Pivetta held a team-low 2.87 ERA for the Padres last season, sporting a 13-5 record across 31 starts. His return could not come soon enough.

The Padres' starting rotation has been inconsistent all season. By FanGraphs' version of WAR, the unit ranks 26th out of the 30 MLB teams. August trades for right-hander Casey Mize and left-hander Robbie Ray were supposed to provide depth. Yet Mize (1-3, 6.67 ERA) and Ray (1-2, 4.71) have done little to take pressure off the team's excellent bullpen.

Vásquez (10-6, 4.02 ERA) has thrown the third-most innings of any Padres pitcher this year. But the best version of the team — the one the Padres will use in October, if they reach the postseason — has Vásquez pitching in relief.

The Padres are also deferring to experience, and betting on a bounceback from Ray and Mize. They have seven relief appearances in 404 regular season starts between them.

Through Sunday, the Padres (75-68) are a half-game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks (76-68) in both the National League West and NL wild-card standings. That they were able to tread water without Pivetta, and with little help from the rest of the starting rotation, was impressive. Now they must hope Pivetta is not coming back too late.

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