SAN DIEGO — Sidelined since April, San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta will come off the injured list Monday to start against the Washington Nationals, manager Craig Stammen said Sunday.Pivetta, the Padres’ Opening Day starter, has pitched in only four games this season due to an elbow flexor strain. The veteran suffered a similar injury in 2024 with the Boston Red Sox, prompting the inclusion of a special clause in his four-year, $55 million contract. Now, since Pivetta has spent more than 130 consecutive days on the IL, the Padres can soon void the final two years and $32 million of that deal.When on the mound over the past two years, Pivetta has been one of San Diego’s most valuable starters, pitching to a 3.01 ERA across 197 2/3 innings. The Padres (75-68), who trail the Arizona Diamondbacks by a half-game in the race for the National League’s final wild-card berth, face questions in their rotation. Trade-deadline acquisitions Casey Mize and Robbie Ray have either disappointed or underwhelmed. Meanwhile, Joe Musgrove recently experienced another setback in his nearly two-year-long rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery, putting a return this season in doubt.
Pivetta himself seemed uncertain to make a comeback as recently as a month ago. That was when, in his first rehab outing of the year, he walked off the mound with tightness in his elbow. The Padres later downplayed the sensation as a relatively normal part of the recovery process, and Pivetta resumed his rehab assignment in late August, making two starts without incident.Pivetta recorded 4 1/3 scoreless innings on 65 pitches in the latest of those starts, likely putting Monday’s limit at around five innings. Stammen said starter Randy Vásquez, who has worked in various roles this season, will be available out of the bullpen. For now, the Padres do not intend to go to a six-man rotation.Pivetta’s scheduled return will carry significant implications for the potential free agent. The Padres are expected to decline what has become a club option on the 33-year-old, but if Pivetta stays on the mound the rest of the season, the team might reconsider its position or explore a reunion on a new deal.
