The San Diego Padres have some key roster decisions to make as the return of Jason Adam is near, and there could be some moves coming soon.
The San Diego Padres starting rotation has gotten off to a mixed start, with German Marquez and Walker Buehler not pitching as well as they had hoped out of the gate.
The good news for San Diego is that Michael King and Randy Vasquez have pitched well, and Nick Pivetta bounced back after an ugly Opening Day start.
And, in other good news, the bullpen is set for a big boost soon, with All-Star reliever Jason Adam getting close to a return.
Adam was named an All-Star in 2025, which was his first-ever All-Star appearance. He had a 1.93 ERA in 65 games while pitching 65.1 innings, but he missed the end of the season after suffering a devastating ruptured tendon in his left quadriceps.
Adam has been working hard to return despite not being ready for Opening Day.
Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Adam pitched in back-to-back days in Triple-A El Paso, and he could return very soon for the Padres.
The earlier Adam could be activated on April 8, and April 9 is another option given the Padres' schedule, as Sanders reported.
Who is the Odd Man Out For San Diego?
Once Adam returns, the Padres have some key questions to ask themselves.
Bradgley Rodriguez is one name who could be an option to go to Triple-A, but the 22-year-old has pitched 5.1 innings with just one earned run and six strikeouts.
Rodriguez has been a pleasant surprise, so the chances are high that he sticks around at least a little longer.
Jeremiah Estrada is another option, and after giving up four runs in his first outing of the year, he has responded with four straight scoreless outings entering Monday.
Now, there is another option. The Padres could DFA Marquez or Buehler, and then wait and activate knuckle baller Matt Waldron to be the fifth starter while keeping the other bullpen arms around with Adam's return.
The Padres also have Jos Musgrove on the IL and Griffin Canning, and the hope is that one or both can be ready sometime in May or June.
Waldron has made two rehab starts and is set for another soon, so he should be ready to return in the foreseeable future.
Right now, there are some tough decisions for San Diego to make, but it might be hard to send Rodriguez down given the way he has pitched early on this season.