Padres Place Pitcher on Injured List in Surprise Roster Move

Aug 20, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher David Morgan (66) and Freddy Fermin (54) celebrate after the Padres beat the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The San Diego Padres placed relief pitcher David Morgan on the 15-day injured list ahead of their second game against the Colorado Rockies on Friday.

We have recalled LHP JP Sears from Triple-A El Paso and placed RHP David Morgan on the 15-day IL with right shoulder inflammation (retro to 9/9). Sears will be our starting pitcher tonight vs COL.

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 12, 2025

In a corresponding move, they recalled starting pitcher J.P. Sears from Triple-A El Paso. Sears will start Friday's game.

Morgan has been with the Padres since they called him up in late May, and he has made 38 appearances in that time. The right-hander has proven his worth since coming up, posting a 2.80 ERA through 45 innings with 47 strikeouts. Morgan last appeared for the Friars Sept. 7, where he threw a perfect inning against the Rockies while striking out two.

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The Padres' bullpen will grow even thinner with Morgan out, as they also lost All-Star right-hander Jason Adam earlier this month. Adam will be out for the remainder of the season, and could potentially miss time into 2026.

Since joining the Friars at the deadline in the deal which brought in All-Star Mason Miller from the Athletics, Sears has bounced between MLB and Triple-A due to his inconsistent performances. He allowed five runs in his first start with the Padres, and was immediately sent to El Paso afterwards.

They called him back up a couple of weeks later, and he threw six innings of one-run baseball, allowing just four hits. His next start wasn't as successful, as he allowed four runs in 3.2 innings before exiting the game and went back down to Triple-A the following day. In his three starts for the Padres, Sears has a 5.52 ERA with a win and a loss.

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The southpaw has faced the Rockies twice in his career, and both outings came with the A's. In those two starts, one of which came earlier this season, he has been credited with two wins and has allowed four runs through 11.1 innings for a 3.18 ERA.

The Padres will hope to see more of the same out of Sears, as their series against the Rockies is a must win if they are to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. They are 2.5 games back of the division's frontrunners heading into Friday's games, and have the opportunity to make up ground with a favorable matchup.

Friday's game will begin at 6:40 p.m. PT.

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