Inside The Padres

Padres May Have New Secret Weapon in the Rotation

Jason Fray|
May 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) tips his hat while walking to the dugout after a double play during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images
May 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Stephen Kolek (32) tips his hat while walking to the dugout after a double play during the fourth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | David Dermer-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

Did the San Diego Padres find yet another valuable piece for its starting rotation?

Stephen Kolek was called up from Triple-A El Paso to make a start versus the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. The No. 5 spot in San Diego's rotation has been a bit of a musical chairs situation. The top four of Nick Pivetta, Michael King, Dylan Cease, and Randy Vasquez are etched in stone right now.

More news: Padres Outfielder Jackson Merrill's Rehab Location, Date Set

Kyle Hurt had been ensconsed in the back of the rotation, though general ineffectiveness saw San Diego demote him to the minors. Kolek was called in his place with Yu Darvish not yet ready to go. Based on how Kolek's start went, he may never move back down to the minor leagues.

Kolek was efficient and effective — going 5.1 innings allowing zero runs and only four hits (all singles). He specifically pounded the strike zone with a highly potent sinker. Based on Sunday's result, the 28-year old could be with the team for the foreseeable future until Darvish's status becomes more clear.

Kolek had an interesting journey in getting to San Diego. Ironically enough, he was drafted by the rival Los Angeles Dodgers back in 2018. A few years later, he was traded to the Seattle Mariners where he made it up to the Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma.

However, Kolek was left available in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft — to which the Padres jumped on him. The next spring, Kolek surprised many by making San Diego's Opening Day roster as a reliever. He made 42 appearances for the ballclub registering a 5.21 ERA in 46.2 innings. Baseball Savant's deep breakdown of Kolek in 2024 deduced that he sat in the 94th percentile in ground ball percentage and the 96th percentile in barrel percentage. There's certainly some value with a guy who can keep the ball in the ballpark.

Kolek bouncing back as a starter gives San Diego some real flexibility. At the very least, even if Darvish does come back healthy, Kolek is a nice ace in the hole to use as a spot starter or potentially even as a long reliever.

Based on the underlying numbers, his sinker does play quite well when inducing ground balls and light contact. This sort of skill-set can be highly valuable in certain situations, especially in postseason play.

Read more: Surprise Padres Player With Team in Pittsburgh, Indicating Imminent Roster Move

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

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Jason Fray
JASON FRAY

Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting). 

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