The San Diego Padres are firmly in contention for a playoff spot in the National League, boasting a 32-29 record as they head into Sunday’s game, having won five of their last six matches. However, maintaining this performance will be challenging in the coming weeks due to recent injuries to their pitching staff.
Over the weekend, the Padres placed Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove on the 15-day injured list. Darvish is suffering from a left groin strain that forced him out of his last start on Wednesday. Despite a strong run of four consecutive starts without conceding a run, Darvish struggled in his last two outings against the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, possibly due to the injury.
Musgrove, who had already spent time on the injured list earlier this season, is returning due to ongoing triceps and elbow discomfort. Previously, he missed 20 days between starts before returning to pitch against the Cincinnati Reds and New York Yankees. In his game against New York, he pitched 5.1 innings, allowing six hits and one earned run in a 5-2 win. Randy Vazquez, called up from Triple-A El Paso, replaced Musgrove in the rotation and secured a win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday.
Darvish’s next scheduled start is on Tuesday, but the team has yet to announce a starter. Logan Gillaspie, who was called up along with Vazquez, is a potential candidate. Gillaspie has made two relief appearances for the Padres this season without allowing a run and previously played for the Baltimore Orioles, making 30 appearances over the past two seasons.
