Padres Starting Pitcher Calls Performance 'Embarrassing'

The San Diego Padres dropped the third and final game of a three-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers behind a poor outing from right-hander Griffin Canning.

Canning got tagged for six runs in 1.2 innings, putting San Diego into a tough spot early on.

The right-hander also walked four batters in a short time on the mound, and his performance ultimately was too much to overcome. After the game, Canning opened up about his outing, calling it "embarrassing".

“Obviously, just just can’t walk guys,” Canning said. “It’s disappointing, a little embarrassing.”

This performance marked the second straight poor outing for Canning, with the right-hander allowing six runs in each start. After an impressive debut with the Padres, things have been rough for the veteran right-hander.

Canning came back from a torn Achilles that he suffered last year, and he had been out for over 10 months. It was easy to point to the rust of not pitching for so long as a possibility for his struggles, but Canning didn't want to make any excuses about his performance.

"I feel too good right now, my stuff is too good to not be on the attack and going after guys," he said. "I feel really good. I feel like I’ve stacked some good weeks together, good days together, my bullpens and everything feel really good. So I just need to execute pitches."

Even if Canning doesn't want to blame his issues on the long recovery, it's clear that he is working through things early this season. The righty hasn't been able to locate pitches well, and he isn't anywhere near the form needed to dominate at the major league level.

After his first start, when he allowed just one run over five innings, the Padres were very encouraged about his promise. But Canning has struggled mightily since, and he will need to figure out how to navigate these issues quickly.

The Padres have high hopes for Canning as he's coming off a 2025 season with the New York Mets in which he had a career-best 3.77 ERA over 16 starts before suffering the Achilles injury.

The Padres were hoping to get that version of Canning when they signed him to a one-year deal that guarantees $4.25 million.

Before joining the Mets, Canning had a career 4.78 ERA with the Los Angeles Angels across five seasons.

Add us as a preferred source on Google