Padres Pitcher Reveals What Caused Him to Faint Leading to ER Visit

The Padres avoided what could have been a very scary situation.

Jun 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Randy Vasquez (98) comes off the field after he pitches against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The San Diego Padres reinstated veteran right-hander Randy Vásquez from the 15-day injured list recently, giving the team a boost in the pitching department.

Vásquez was placed on the injured list in early July after getting hit with a comebacker on his ankle, suffering a bruise. X-rays on his ankle were negative, but the Padres proceeded with caution regarding the injury.

On the same night, Vásquez fainted and was taken to the emergency room in what was a scary situation. This came right after his start against the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 2.

It was revealed that Vásquez fainted due to stress and anxiety from being injured in the game. The right-hander recently opened up more about the entire situation.

“They were really checking on me throughout the entire week and the entire process,” Vásquez said. “I even had something to monitor my heart. … They treated me really well and did a lot to get me ready to come back.”

Luckily for Vásquez and the Padres, everything seemed to be okay on both ends.

"That's great news in what could have been a really scary situation and definitely caught everybody off-guard," manager Craig Stammen said at the time. "But glad Randy's doing well, and X-rays were negative and all the tests came back pretty clean."

Thankfully, Vásquez is back and healthy, looking to help the Padres go after a late-season playoff push. The right-hander made his return from the injured list against the Kansas City Royals, pitching three shutout innings in relief while striking out two.

The right-hander got off to a strong start this season, but he has struggled heavily since May. Overall, Vásquez owns an ERA of 4.55 across 87 innings with 62 strikeouts to 27 walks.

For now, Vásquez is in the bullpen, where he'll hope to provide the Padres with some much-needed help after their relievers have seen a heavy workload.

“It’s my biggest worry, because I lived it,” Stammen said last month of 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.”

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