LOS ANGELES -- Right-hander Michael King is going back on the injured list after just one start, a blow to the Padres rotation ahead of perhaps San Diego’s biggest series of the season.
King, who was scheduled to start Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, was placed on the 15-day IL on Thursday with left knee inflammation. The move is retroactive to Monday.
The 30-year-old right-hander had just returned from a lengthy IL stint due to a long thoracic nerve injury that affected the strength of his right shoulder. That injury cost him nearly three months, but King reiterated on Friday that that issue has fully subsided.
He and the Padres are hopeful this will be a much shorter stint on the IL. An MRI on Thursday revealed no structural damage in the knee and King said he could've pitched through it, albeit with some pain. Instead, he's targeting a return in Seattle after his minimum 15-day IL stint. As for the origin of the injury?
"I probably just pushed it a little too hard in the ramp-up," King said.
King was activated from the IL to face the Red Sox on Aug. 9, pitching two innings and allowing four hits and two runs with one strikeout. He threw 57 pitches in his first Major League outing since May 18. In 11 starts this season, King has a 2.81 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 57 1/3 innings.
"It's just going to require some time," Shildt said. "It's one of those things -- he could've pitched today. But he would've had to continue to pitch with some pain. It's just not a recipe for short- and longer-term success. Wanted to make sure he gets it behind him."
The Padres promoted righty Randy Vásquez to take King's place on the roster, though they tabbed lefty Wandy Peralta to serve as the opener on Friday night. San Diego has a fully rested bullpen after Thursday's off-day and Wednesday's blowout win in San Francisco. With Peralta's start on Friday, that leaves Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish to start the final two games of the series, as scheduled.
The Padres have won 14 of 17 and are currently riding a five-game winning streak. They hold a one-game lead over the Dodgers for first place in the National League West, after overcoming what had been a 10-game deficit entering play on July 4.