Padres right-hander Bryan Hoeing will undergo surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm, ruling him out for the 2026 season, Padres manager Craig Stammen announced on Thursday.
Hoeing, who was in the mix for one of the final few places in the San Diego bullpen, first felt discomfort in his right elbow during a live batting practice session in late February.
Acquired at the 2024 Trade Deadline in the same deal that sent Tanner Scott from Miami to San Diego, Hoeing excelled down the stretch that season, posting a 1.52 ERA in 18 appearances. He seemed poised to assume an important role in the Padres ‘pen.
But Hoeing’s time on the mound has been marred by injury since. He only made seven appearances in the big leagues last season, after missing the first half with a shoulder strain.
“It’s a bummer because he’s someone that could have really been a big part of our bullpen, filled a lot of different roles,” Stammen said. “What we saw from him in 2024 in the playoffs, how much better he made our team, our bullpen, how well he fit in -- it really felt like we had an ace in the hole with him in the ‘pen.”
The Padres, of course, own one of the sport’s deepest bullpens and should have the pieces to mitigate Hoeing’s absence. Logan Gillaspie, for one, has been a spring standout and, like Hoeing, is capable of covering multiple innings.
Still, early injury issues are testing that depth. Right-handers Jason Adam (left quad surgery) and Yuki Matsui (left groin strain) are questionable for the Opening Day roster -- though they’re both throwing off the mound, and their timelines likely won’t linger too far beyond Opening Day.
In any case, that leaves three places available in the Padres’ Opening Day bullpen -- with Hoeing no longer an option for one of those spots. Gillaspie, Bradgley Rodriguez, Kyle Hart, Ty Adcock and Garrett Hawkins are among those in camp competing for those places. Ron Marinaccio and Alek Jacob, both of whom are pitching with Team Italy at the World Baseball Classic, are in the mix as well.