Padres' Michael King Provides Crucial Injury Update as Concern Grows

The San Diego Padres are currently tied for a National League Wild Card spot, but with just about half of the season left, the Friars are far from satisfied.

Despite their success, right-hander Michael King hasn't pitched since May 18. He has been serving time on the injured list since May 25 (retroactive to May 22), with right shoulder inflammation that occured on the morning he woke up for a scheduled start.

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As time passes, uncertainty grows with when King will return. Luckily, the right-hander told the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee that there is, “light at the end of the tunnel," after he threw on the field for the second time in four days.

The shoulder inflammation has been narrowed down to issues with his scapula. King was happy to report that his pain levels are decreasing.

“But way, way less less than it was before,” he said. “And that’s more like strength and range of motion.”

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The "light at the end of the tunnel" has also started to feel like a new chapter of recovery for King, who feels like a fuller progression is set to start, rather than just waiting for the results of countless tests.

“It’s like a start of a progression, whereas every other time it’s been like a test to see how I feel,” King said of throwing. “And I felt pretty good in the last one. I was really happy with how it went on Tuesday, and that’s why I came in and said I’d rather do a full progression instead of just like testing it out. So this is like the actual start to a progression.”

Although King is still throwing, the intention behind simply playing catch to proper pitching is still next on the list. The right-hander luckily feels close to that next step of more intentional play.

“There’s like a build up to it,” King said. “The throwing that I did before, originally, it was like it was an exercise. And then it was like, I know exactly how I feel I’m throwing. I know exactly how my arm moves when I’m throwing. I would know the difference between if it’s moving properly in terms of the range of motion and strength. And I felt like on Tuesday, it was very, very close. So then it was like, let’s give it a couple days and start a full-on throwing program.”

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For more Padres news, head over to Padres on SI.