Padres Suddenly Have New Option to Fix Starting Rotation

The San Diego Padres have seen all sorts of changes within the starting rotation this season, in large part due to injuries.

The latest injury to right-hander Lucas Giolito seems to have opened the door to a player who wouldn't have otherwise had an opportunity.

Veteran left-hander JP Sears was recalled from the minor leagues to replace Giolito in the rotation, and he impressed in his season debut this week.

Sears started the series finale against the Atlanta Braves, helping the team complete the sweep. Over 5.2 innings, Sears allowed two runs on five hits while striking out five batters, keeping the tough Atlanta offense at bay.

After the game, Padres manager Craig Stammen weighed in on the surprise performance from Sears.

“The way he threw the ball today is what he’s capable of doing in the big leagues and what he has shown he did in the big leagues before we traded for him,” Stammen said. “Exciting that he came up. We needed him big. He stepped up to the plate and just did an amazing job for us.”

The outing from Sears was excellent to see for the Padres, especially since the left-hander had been struggling in Triple-A. In 14 starts this year, Sears posted an ERA of 7.92.

Sears is expected to give this Padres team some extra starts, hoping to continue the success that he saw against Atlanta. If he can put together more outings similar to this, the Padres could have another piece to work with in the rotation.

“It gives me a lot of confidence in my stuff and my ability to pitch here,” Sears said after the game.

With multiple pitchers being on the injured list and Griffin Canning struggling, Sears has a chance to stabilize this rotation. The veteran has talent on the mount, but now it'll be up to him to put it all together whenever called upon.

Sears came to the Padres at the trade deadline last year in the deal that landed Mason Miller in San Diego. The left-hander had an ERA of 5.47 in five starts for the Padres down the stretch last year, spending much of his time in the minor leagues.

The 30-year-old has been in the major leagues since 2022, but his career has been up and down. Sears started off with the New York Yankees before being traded to the Athletics in the blockbuster deal for former ace Frankie Montas.

Now back up with the Padres, this could be one of the last chances for Sears to prove himself at this level. And by all accounts, if his first outing proves anything, the Padres may have a secret weapon for the rotation going forward.

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