Padres place Giolito on 15-day IL with right elbow inflammation

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres placed right-hander Lucas Giolito on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on Tuesday, recalling lefty JP Sears to take his place on the roster.

For now, Sears will effectively take Giolito’s spot in the starting five, though the Padres reshuffled their rotation so that Sears will start on Wednesday, his scheduled turn.

“I think we caught it early, so I don’t think it’s super severe,” manager Craig Stammen said of Giolito’s injury. “He’s just got some inflammation in there, just a little irritated. He’ll probably be down from throwing for a couple days, then get back at it.”

Rotation plans

The Padres essentially chose Sears over right-hander Germán Márquez, preferring to give Márquez at least one more rehab outing with Triple-A El Paso. Márquez is recovering from nerve irritation in his right forearm. But he’s been mostly sharp in four rehab starts with Triple-A El Paso, posting a 1.76 ERA.

Márquez built to five innings in his most recent rehab start, meaning his next one could be his last. That means Sears could be pitching to keep his place in the rotation on Wednesday against Atlanta.

Right-hander Randy Vásquez was originally scheduled to start on Wednesday, but the Padres bumped his start back to Friday’s series opener against the Dodgers. That would line up Vásquez, former Dodger Walker Buehler and Michael King (in that order) to face L.A. this weekend.

Right now, those are the Padres’ three best starters. The other two spots in the rotation have been a revolving door, and San Diego hasn’t gotten much from that group. Perhaps Sears or a healthy Márquez could provide it.

As for the growing list of injuries in the rotation …

“We’ve got guys that are a little older, guys that have had injury history, and we’re trying to be overly cautious with keeping them healthy throughout the entire season,” Stammen said. “We’re trying to put their best interests in mind, not only for themselves personally, but also for the team, so that we get the best version of all of them.”

Giolito’s status

It’s been an awkward first few months for Giolito, who didn’t sign until late April and didn’t make his debut until mid-May. He’s posted a 5.16 ERA across seven outings, and his velocity is down on all of his pitches.

That said, the Padres are optimistic that Giolito’s stint on the IL won’t be an extended one. He will be shut down from throwing briefly, then begin to build his way back, potentially as soon as next week.

Stammen noted that Giolito informed the staff that his elbow was bothering him in the aftermath of his outing on Sunday in Texas in which he allowed four runs across four innings.

Giolito has a history of elbow trouble. He missed the 2024 season following elbow surgery. After a strong showing in ‘25 with the Red Sox, Giolito was then shut down in late September and didn’t pitch in the postseason because of elbow inflammation.

“We’ve all pitched through a bunch of stuff in our careers,” Stammen said. “I’m sure Lucas has a ton. It’s probably what he was trying to do last year, and then it bit him in the backside -- missed the playoffs and missed the [rest of] the season. So we’re just trying to stay out ahead of it.”

Long-term rotation outlook

The entire Padres rotation picture can be framed thusly: They’re trying to stay afloat until they can get Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta back from their respective elbow injuries.

On that front, Tuesday brought a very welcome sight. Both Pivetta and Musgrove played long toss in the outfield, another step in their slow progressions back to the mound. Neither is expected to return until the second half.

“They’ve got a long way to go,” Stammen said. “Long tossing is certainly a good sign. It’s a great sign. … We’ve got a while yet for them. But so far so good. It is a sight for sore eyes, seeing those guys.”

Of course, with any elbow injury, there are no guarantees. So the Padres could spend the Trade Deadline shopping for starting pitching help as well. Outside of King, their rotation is on shaky ground. Buehler has been a pleasant surprise, but still comes with question marks, and Vásquez has regressed lately.

In the meantime, with Giolito on the IL, Sears will get a chance to make his case to stick, and Márquez might soon get the same opportunity.