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Padres Notes: Nick Pivetta Injury Update, 2 Players Demoted, AJ Preller Tried to Make One More Trade

Catch up on all the latest Padres news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Apr 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27), left, leaves the field with a trainer during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (27), left, leaves the field with a trainer during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 9-4, on Tuesday evening and improved to 59-55 on the year. They trail Arizona by one game for the final wild-card spot.

Before the game, there was a concerning development with right-hander Nick Pivetta during his first rehab start at Single-A. Just 14 pitches into his outing, he abruptly left the mound and went straight to the dugout.

While it looked bad in real time, manager Craig Stammen provided an update on Pivetta ahead of the Padres' game, saying the right-hander was able to throw a bullpen after exiting the mound and felt better.

"He felt a little bit of tightness in his elbow, but then he was also able to catch his breath and then go throw 30 pitches underneath the stadium in the batting cage," Stammen said. "So take that for what it's worth."

In other news, a catcher and a left-handed pitcher were both demoted on Tuesday. Ahead of the major move, Stammen spoke on how the decision was anything but straightforward.

“We will lose at least two guys off the roster, which is going to be a very difficult decision,” Stammen said. “It’s going to be a very difficult conversation for me, because I can’t think of one person on this roster that hasn’t put their career on the line or their physical health on the line to help our team win, which is pretty darn amazing.”

The reason for the demotions was to make room for the new additions on the Padres after another memorable trade deadline from president of baseball operations AJ Preller. In fact, Preller revealed that there were still more deals that were drawn up but weren't executed ahead of Monday at 3 p.m.

“There were a lot of different combinations we looked at,” Preller said to a conference call to reporters after the deadline. “We’ve talked about improving the offense with a left-handed bat and improving the rotation. We looked at ideas that would have helped us on the offensive end and on the pitching side, but ultimately they didn’t line up with what we felt was good for the Padres now or in the future.”

Here’s all the latest Padres news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Padres’ Nick Pivetta Abruptly Exits Rehab Game With Apparent Injury in Concerning Development

Padres Manager Hints at 'Difficult' Conversations With Roster Move Looming

Padres Tried, Failed to Address One Key Issue at Trade Deadline

Padres Announce Casey Mize and Robbie Ray Debut Dates, Nick Pivetta Injury Update

Former Padres Outfielder Suddenly Retires at 36

Padres Could Move Fernando Tatis Jr. to Infield Full-Time

Padres Trade Deadline Grades: AJ Preller Does it Again With Season-Altering Additions

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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