Padres rotation reshuffled

The Padres reshuffle their rotation as Michael King goes on the injured list and Randy Vásquez is recalled, with Friday’s starter still to be decided.

Padres reload rotation after King lands on injured list

Padres head to Dodger Stadium with a one game lead in the NL West the rotation is shuffled by injury. Michael King was placed on the 15 day injured list with left knee inflammation, and Randy Vásquez was recalled to fill his spot. Friday’s starter is officially listed as TBD, with Dylan Cease scheduled for Saturday and Yu Darvish for Sunday. The club is weighing whether to use an opener to cover the early innings on Friday.

Vásquez, who posted a 3.93 ERA in 107 2/3 innings earlier this season, will be on four days of rest after a Triple-A start. King has been out since mid May because of a long thoracic nerve issue and returned to the mound on Aug 9 but did not yet show peak form. The Padres will update King’s status on Friday. The move underlines a rotation that must navigate the rest of the season with depth rather than certainty.

The Padres are leaning on depth as a growing test for their pitching staff. Moving Vásquez into the rotation and eyeing an opener shows a management style that values innings control and bullpen preservation over fixed plans. In a tight division race, the difference between a win and a loss can hinge on how well the middle and back of the rotation holds up. If Vásquez struggles, the Padres could lean more on Cease and Darvish, increasing stress on a bullpen that has to cover more innings without King. The Dodgers series becomes a live stress test for this strategy and for the players who must step up in week to week rotations.

Highlights

The road ahead will reveal how far this rotation can go on a plan built around depth and patience.