Padres All-Star Reliever to Open Season on Injured List in Surprise Announcement

The San Diego Padres will be without one of their All-Star relievers to open the 2026 season.

Right-handed pitcher Jason Adam, who ruptured his left quadriceps tendon last September, will open the season on the injured list, manager Craig Stammen announced after Monday's spring training finale.

While Adam has been adamant about being ready for Opening Day, the Padres are deciding to slow-play the 34-year-old coming off major surgery.

“Even though it looks good, we’ve got to be smart,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. " ... We’ll see him sometime in April, most likely, if all things go the way they should go.”

Adam made two appearances this spring toward the end of Cactus League play, pitching two perfect innings with two strikeouts on 22 pitches. Nevertheless, the Padres will have him open the season on a minor league rehab assignment as he works his way through his pitching progression.

Adam is coming off a career season in 2025 in which he made 65 appearances, sporting a 1.93 ERA with 70 strikeouts across 65.1 innings pitched. He made his first career All-Star appearance alongside teammates Robert Suarez and Adrian Morejon, and was a critical piece to San Diego's bullpen success all year long.

The Padres acquired Adam from the Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for three prospects: right-handed pitcher Dylan Lesko, outfielder Homer Bush Jr. and catcher J.D. Gonzalez. Adam had a 1.01 ERA across his 27 appearances with the Padres in 2024, and picked up where he left off last season in a dominant performance.

The Padres are fortunate to have plenty of bullpen depth, allowing them to slow-play Adam for the beginning of the season.

This move likely guarantees a roster spot to right-handed pitcher Bradgley Rodriguez, a breakout star in spring training who's earned a spot in the Opening Day bullpen. It also allows right-handed pitcher Ron Marinaccio to break camp with the big league club. Marinaccio is out of options, so he would have been subject to waivers had the team not included him on the Opening Day roster.

When Will Jason Adam Return to Padres?

Adam's IL stint can be backdated to March 22, meaning the earliest he could return is April 6. However, based on Stammen's comments, he may not be back as soon as he's eligible.

While Adam wanted to be on the roster for Opening Day, he has made it known he trusts the Padres' judgement with his return from injury.

“In my mind, they have done right by me this whole process,” Adam said over the weekend. “So I’m going to trust whatever they decide. They only have my best interest and the team’s best interest [in mind]."

Adam will likely be back sometime in mid-April barring any setback in his progression. In the meantime, the Padres feel more than confident in the bullpen options they have to open the season.