SAN DIEGO -- Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta exited Sunday’s start against the Rockies in the top of the fourth inning with an apparent injury.
In the immediate aftermath of his exit, the team offered no update on his status.
Pivetta appeared to be in some discomfort after he threw a 92.2 mph fastball to Edouard Julien, the first batter of the fourth inning. That prompted a team trainer and Padres manager Craig Stammen to visit a visibly frustrated Pivetta on the mound. After a very brief discussion, Pivetta walked off the field and into the clubhouse.
Pivetta is perhaps the Padres’ top starting pitcher. He was their Opening Day starter and their starter in Game 1 of the postseason last year. He posted a 2.87 ERA last season and finished sixth in voting for the National League Cy Young Award.
In Spring Training, Pivetta had a start skipped because of what the team termed “arm fatigue,” though he quickly returned to his regular throwing progression. It’s unclear if Sunday’s issue was related in any way.
If Pivetta were to miss time, the Padres have a handful of options to replace him -- most notably knuckleballer Matt Waldron, who is currently nearing the end of his rehab stint with Triple-A El Paso. Waldron underwent a medical procedure during Spring Training and wasn’t fully built up to make the Opening Day roster.
Nonetheless, the loss of Pivetta would be a major blow for a rotation with serious depth concerns.