Pivetta puts arm fatigue behind him, looks ahead to start of season

PEORIA, Ariz. – Despite missing his last start due to arm fatigue, Nick Pivetta had no concerns or anxiety when he took the mound Saturday for his first start in 11 days.

The work he did during the past week had told him everything he needed to know.

“I think I knew beforehand, to be honest with you,” Pivetta said. “I threw a good side [session] a couple days ago, so I think there are more checkmarks along the way than just this game today. Everything else leading up to that was pretty much where it needed to be.”

If Saturday’s game was any indication, fatigue is no longer an issue for Pivetta.

The Padres’ right-hander allowed two runs over three-plus innings in an 8-5 win over the Guardians, but with his fastball mostly sitting between 94-96 mph, Pivetta came away satisfied with his day’s work.

“Even before this, the last couple days, he was feeling really good,” Padres manager Craig Stammen said. “Obviously you're always in the back of your head a little worried about it, but at this point, I think we're in good shape.”

Pivetta allowed only one baserunner through the first two innings, issuing a one-out walk to Rhys Hoskins in the second. Moments later, he induced an inning-ending double play off the bat of Brayan Rocchio.

After opening the third with a pair of strikeouts – his second and third of the afternoon – Pivetta gave up a solo home run to Petey Halpin, who whacked a hanging curveball a Statcast-projected 427 feet to right-center.

Pivetta allowed the first two hitters to reach base in the fourth, ending his outing after 56 pitches.

“It was good to see him back out there,” Stammen said. “We gave him that little break, so health is a big part of it. He looked great; I saw 95 on the scoreboard, saw 96 on the scoreboard, was able to get him out there for the fourth for a couple batters. We’re moving forward with him feeling good and ready to rock.”

With his arm feeling good and the fatigue no longer an issue for him, Pivetta is already looking forward to his next Cactus League start.

“Everything seemed to click pretty well; the rest seemed to do me right,” Pivetta said. “It was just nice to be back out there, feel the mound again, face hitters; just a good day. I think for the past couple days it's been feeling better. Ever since I took a couple days and tried to get back to it, it seemed to progress as I continued to move forward. It seems like I'm on track.”

This isn’t the first time Pivetta has dealt with this issue, which he called “general spring fatigue,” though he admitted that this one hit him “a little bit harder” than in previous years.

“I think for me, it's just something that comes and goes,” Pivetta said. “We have a great training staff, great staff in general, [pitching coach] Ruben [Niebla] has been great. Just being able to be adults and big leaguers, just professional athletes, just getting things moving and getting the treatment I needed to feel healthy again.”

In three starts this spring, Pivetta has allowed seven runs on 11 hits and five walks over eight innings, though his four strikeouts on Saturday were two more than he had combined in his first two outings.

Saturday’s start only reinforced what Pivetta already believed: with the fatigue seemingly in the rear-view mirror, he’s on track to be ready by Opening Day.

“I think I'm able to kind of keep things level-headed for the most part; things are going to be what they're going to be,” Pivetta said. “The checkmarks earlier in the week are kind of what I'm more basing my opinion on and how I'm feeling. As long as that went well, today was going to go well regardless – and today went well.”

Pivetta and Michael King appear to be the leading candidates to start Opening Day, though Stammen has no firm timeline as to when he plans to make that announcement.

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“It will be before Opening Day,” Stammen quipped.

“I'm just not focused on it, to be honest with you,” Pivetta said. “Whatever happens, happens. I want to win a World Series; that's the most important thing. I believe in all my teammates. What matters is September, not early in the year.”