The San Diego Padres got the bad news they expected about Nick Pivetta, but Matt Waldron is ready to step up.
The San Diego Padres got some expected bad news yesterday as starter Nick PIvetta was placed on the 15-day injured list with what was described as right elbow inflammation, and the Padres have named Matt Waldron to start in his place on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels, according to a report written by AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
“We’re trying to be cautious with Nick, and I think the smartest move was to not push him,” manager Craig Stammen said. “Give him some time on the IL, and then figure it out from there.”
What’s alarming about Pivetta’s situation is that the Padres medical staff still doesn’t know what’s going on. The results of the MRI, Stammen said, are still being sorted through by team doctors, Cassavell added.
“We’re still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on,” Stammen said. “Medical team’s going through the process. And then we’ll probably have some more information coming up in the next couple days.”
The Padres probably caught a big break in this situation already given that Pivetta was shut down in April due to what was described as “arm fatigue.” Whatever’s going on with Pivetta, it’s starting to look like it could be more than that, and he could be in line for a reduced role depending on the conclusion reached by the medical staff.
“Nick’s obviously one of our best pitchers,” Stammen said. “To lose him is going to be big, even for a short amount of time.”
Waldron is ready, and according to Cassavell he could be in line for a bounce-back year. His velocity has been up in the mid-90s, and his knuckleball has been predictably unpredictable at Triple-A El Paso.
The Padres haven’t made Waldron’s start official yet, but he’s ready.
“I really feel for Nick,” Waldron said. “Nobody wants it more than him. But it’s a great opportunity, and I want to be as effective as I can.”
But Waldron’s best-case scenario projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter who can mimic some of the numbers being posted by Randy Vasquez, who’s been surprisingly effective so far. The Padres have also been linked to free-agent right-hander Lucas Giolito, but no one knows if GM A.J. Preller has the resources to sign Giolito given that the process of selling the team hasn’t been completed yet. It's still a very fluid situation, but at least the Padres have pitchers like Waldron who can step into the breach on a short-term basis.