LOS ANGELES -- Padres right-hander Michael King is expected to be out at least through the All-Star break, manager Mike Shildt acknowledged ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.
King has missed a month as he deals with a pinched nerve in the area of his right shoulder. He is throwing lightly, Shildt said (mostly with plyometric balls, but occasionally with regular baseballs) but is not yet on a progression toward a return.
Shildt said King has made marginal improvements but his current status “is more about rest and figuring out the best way to treat what he has.” The Padres and King have noted that because this specific injury is mostly unique to baseball, the progression plan is unclear. For now, King’s focus is on resting and strengthening his right shoulder.
As for a specific timetable, Shildt was asked whether King would be out through the All-Star break.
“I think that’s pretty accurate,” Shildt said. “I don’t think we can begin to put a date on it. … As we all know, the further away he is from it, the longer it takes to get back.”
King, who is set to become a free agent after the season, was perhaps the Padres’ best starter through the first two months. He posted a 2.59 ERA across 10 starts, but he hasn’t appeared in a game since May 18.
King was slated to start May 24 in Seattle but was scratched after dealing with what was termed at the time to be a “knot” in his right shoulder. Tests revealed no structural damage to that shoulder, the Padres said. But the nerve issue presents its own set of challenges -- namely finding a treatment and buildup plan.
Obviously, the Padres won’t rush King. But they could use some help for their thin rotation. San Diego has dropped nine of 13 entering play Thursday, amid a crucial stretch on their schedule with series against multiple division rivals.
On that front, there’s another rotation reinforcement perhaps on his way. Yu Darvish, who has yet to pitch this season because of right elbow inflammation, threw a simulated game on Saturday and is slated for another one on Friday. If all goes well, a rehab outing could follow.