SAN DIEGO -- Cal Quantrill debuted in May, became one of the Padres' most reliable starters by July, then endured one of the roughest stretches of his professional career beginning in late August.

On Tuesday, Quantrill's roller-coaster rookie season was formally declared over.

The 24-year-old right-hander won't pitch again this season, interim manager Rod Barajas said Tuesday night. Quantrill's shutdown isn't health related, Barajas added. He'd thrown 138 2/3 innings between Triple-A and the Majors, setting him up for a full starter's workload next season anyway.

"Obviously, there were ups and downs," Quantrill said. "For a good chunk of my time here, I showed that I didn't only belong, but that I can dominate at this level. I had a tough end to it. I don't know if that was being humbled by the sport or if I need to adjust quicker. But that's all part of it."

Quantrill, the Padres' first overall pick in the 2016 Draft, finished with a 5.16 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP in his first big league season. He struck out 89 hitters over 103 innings. Those numbers aren't great on the surface. But a month ago, Quantrill's ERA sat at 3.32 with solid peripherals.

Then, starting with his poor showing against the Dodgers on Aug. 27, Quantrill reeled off a four-start stretch in which he allowed 28 runs. He finished with five strong innings of one-run ball on Saturday against the D-backs.

"This last month for me, minus the last start, has been probably the most challenging month of baseball I've ever had in my life," Quantrill said. "You know, I'm proud ... I was able to come out on the other end of it and finish with a good one."

Now, Quantrill will set his sights on a spot in the 2020 rotation. That's no sure thing. The Padres figure to add a pitcher or two this winter, plus Garrett Richards and Dinelson Lamet have recently returned from Tommy John surgery. The competition for spots in the starting five will be as fierce as it’s been in recent memory.

Quantrill acknowledged that much, but he noted that if he can find his form from the middle of the season, he'll force the Padres’ hand. Alternatively, he certainly can't afford to pitch like he did down the stretch. At the very least, 2019 offered Quantrill plenty to build upon.

"Mixed emotions about the year," he said. "Overall, I'm excited that I got to do it and a childhood dream came true. I'm just looking to be better next year."

Noteworthy
• Padres outfielder Wil Myers had a fainting episode at Kirby Yates' charity event on Sunday night, resulting from dehydration. Myers was taken to the hospital out of caution, and his labs and tests came back normal.

Myers, who said he'd fainted once before while giving blood, felt fine the following morning. He was not in the lineup on Tuesday night.

• Catcher Luis Torrens received his second start Tuesday night, catching right-hander Ronald Bolaños, his teammate for most of the season in Double-A Amarillo. It's possible Torrens could challenge for a roster spot next spring, depending on how the Padres' catching situation shakes out this winter. Count Barajas among those impressed with the strides Torrens has made.

"To see him go down there and work and understand what was going to make him a big league catcher was huge," Barajas said. "Where we're at right now, we have that luxury to get these guys out there and see what we've got. We've got to see what we have."