5:45 p.m: Per Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Sears will start tomorrow’s game with Vásquez pushed to Friday.
4:55 p.m: The Padres announced the right-hander Lucas Giolito placed on the 15-day injured list, resumes June 22, with right elbow inflammation. On the left JP Sears called to replace Giolito’s roster.
The Friars have not released details on the seriousness of Giolito’s case or his expected absence, but it is alarming given his history. Giolito missed the 2024 season while recovering from internal surgery. He was back on the mound with the Red Sox in 2025. Although he posted a 3.41 earned run average over 145 innings, there were some concerns. He was a little lucky in terms of batted balls and fielders. His strikeout rate of 19.7% was low and well below his previous seasons. An elbow injury kept him out of the postseason for Boston.
He said he was completely healthy in November. Regardless, he remained undrafted until about a month into the regular season, when the Padres picked him up. He agreed to be chosen for the children to be built. Called mid-May. Since then, he has made seven appearances for the Padres with a 5.16 ERA. His strikeout rate is down significantly from last year, as he only struck out 13% of the batters he faced. He also gave up a terrible 16.7% walk rate.
Perhaps his biggest concern is his speed. His four-seamer averaged 90.8 miles per hour this year. That’s a significant drop from last year’s 93.3 mph. His other pitches also went down by two to three clicks.
Although Giolito hasn’t been performing well, it’s still not good for the Padres to lose a member of their rotation. The team’s starters have a collective 4.54 ERA, which ranks them third lowest in the majors. Michael King again Walker Buehler they have good times though Griffin Canning has a 6.64 ERA. Randy Vásquez He’s off to a good start but has a 5.10 ERA over his past 12 outings and a 6.91 ERA over his past six.
Now the Friars will have to reach into their depth to add someone else to that mix. That may not need to come soon, as the club is closed on Thursday. Canning will go tonight, coming in after the opener Wandy Peraltaand Vásquez is scheduled for Wednesday. But after Thursday’s off day, they went on a 17-game streak leading up to the All-Star break.
Sears may be that guy, though he has a 7.92 ERA in Triple-A this year. German Marquez again Matt Waldron both are giving remedial assignments right now, so they’ll be back in the conversation soon. However, Márquez posted a 5.76 ERA before hitting IL while Waldron’s ERA rose to 8.49.
Assuming the Padres hang on to the playoff race in the coming weeks, they’ll likely be looking for some rotation help. The farm system has suffered greatly from aggressive trades over the years but president of baseball operations AJ Preller is known for being creative in finding solutions. The Padres are currently tied for the last Wild Card spot in the National League with a 40-37 record.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images
