SAN DIEGO -- The Padres are getting Michael King back -- and not a moment too soon.
On Tuesday, King is slated to return to the rotation after, technically, missing one month with left knee inflammation. In reality, the 30-year-old right-hander has spent most of the past 3 1/2 months on the injured list.
King previously dealt with a nerve injury that affected the strength of his throwing shoulder. He returned from that IL stint on Aug. 9, only to return to the IL after just two innings. King began experiencing soreness in his knee -- inflammation that he said almost certainly arose because he tried to ramp up too quickly.
This time around, King was more deliberate in his buildup. For good reason. Right now, his return to the rotation might be the single most important factor in the Padres’ chances of reaching what they believe is a World Series-caliber ceiling.
That is, of course, if King can return to the ace-caliber arm he has been throughout most of his Padres tenure. King was their Game 1 starter in the postseason last year. He was their Opening Day starter this year. When he was sidelined by that nerve injury in mid-May, King had a 2.59 ERA through 10 starts.
“King was an ace for us last year,” said manager MIke Shildt. “And at the start of the season, he was on pace to be in Cy Young consideration.”
That’s the version the Padres need. The tricky part? Well, King hasn’t made anything close to a full big league start since May 18. Now, the Padres are thrusting him into the middle of an important series against the Reds in the playoff race.
Which is another reason King was more deliberate in his buildup this time. He threw a five-inning, 70-pitch simulated game at the team’s complex in Peoria, Ariz., last week. He said he probably would have been fine to pitch for the big league club then. But, well, these games are too important for “probably.”
“There’s expectations of winning every time out,” King said. “So I’m going to hold myself to that standard where I’m winning ballgames every time I go out there. I don’t want any of these to feel like a rehab outing or feel like I’m just getting my feet under me. I’m sure there will be growing pains. But I’ve got to do my job.”
If King can return to the form the Padres have come to expect since they acquired him two offseasons ago, there’s no overstating what it might mean to their chances of a deep October run. San Diego’s bullpen is one of the best in baseball. Its lineup was lengthened in a major way at the Trade Deadline. Lately, however, the biggest question marks have come in their starting rotation.
Enter King.
“It was a frustrating year, for sure,” he said. “To be on the outside looking in [at] a very winning team is fun to watch. But also, I get very jealous. Honestly, I just want to try to contribute as much as I can in these next two months.”
Two months.
The rest of September. And October.
Really, it’s hard to envision the Padres playing through October without a healthy King. Nick Pivetta has been a force in their starting rotation. But beyond Pivetta … who else starts in a short playoff series? Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish have been wildly inconsistent. Randy Vásquez has been admirable, but his peripheral numbers are shaky.
Can the Padres win multiple playoff series with Pivetta-King as their 1-2 punch? Absolutely. This bullpen should be good enough to mask the rotation’s other shortcomings. Can they win multiple series with Pivetta as the only reliable starter (when Pivetta himself has only minimal playoff experience)? Seems like a much bigger ask.
King, of course, is slated to hit free agency after the season but was quick to say that’s not where his focus is, noting it would be a “win-win” for everybody if he were to return and pitch well into October.
In some ways, King’s return Tuesday might be timed perfectly. These are crucial games, yes. But not as crucial as they’ll be in three weeks. He’ll likely get four starts before the postseason. And then …
“That’s what we play for,” King said. “Whether it was a fully healthy season or not, if we don’t win the World Series, it was an unsuccessful season.”
It will not be a fully healthy season. But regarding King’s stated goal, he might end up being healthy at just the right time for the Padres.