Padres On Verge of Getting Major Starting Pitching Help

The San Diego Padres should be getting a big reinforcement back for their pitching staff very soon. Veteran right-hander Matt Waldron seems to be ramping back up to return to the team, pitching in a rehab start.

The veteran is recovering from hemorrhoid surgery, and that took him out of the battle for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. His injury was one of the weirder ones, but the team took things very carefully, allowing him to fully recover.

Waldron just completed his start in Triple-A with the Chihuahuas, and he looked good. Over three innings of work, the right-hander allowed just two hits while walking none, striking out three and allowing zero runs.

The veteran faced 10 batters, throwing 37 pitches total with 25 of them coming as strikes. This was an encouraging outing for the right-hander, and he may be looking to make a few more rehab starts before coming to the big leagues.

Rehab assignments can last up to 30 days for pitchers, so we should know more about him soon. The right-hander is out of minor-league options, so once he is ready, the Padres will need to bring him onto the big league roster or risk losing him on waivers.

San Diego could really use all the pitching help it can get, and Waldron has been good for them over the years. In 2024, Waldron was a big part of the Padres' pitching staff, helping the team make the playoffs while posting an ERA of 4.91 over 146.2 innings of work.

However, last season, most of his year was spent in the minor leagues, with him only making one appearance with the Padres. In this limited time, Waldron allowed four runs over 4.2 innings of work, ending with an ERA of 7.71.

Considering how much uncertainty there is within the Padres' starting rotation right now, anything can help. Waldron was a reliable arm for this team before his injury, so the hope is that he will be getting back with the team sooner rather than later.

If the veteran can get back to form, he could be part of the pitching plans early in the year while the team deals with injuries to other starters. Waldron is one of the few pitchers in baseball who throws a knuckleball, giving him a fun advantage over hitters while on the mound.