Lucas Giolito to pitch behind opener Sunday

Giolito is presumably done for the season after hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation back in late June. The procedural move frees up a spot on San Diego’s 40-man roster for outfielder Dustin Harris.

Peralta will get the start, but this will be a bullpen game for the Padres. The 35-year-old will go an inning or two before giving way to another pen arm.

The 34-year-old southpaw rejoins the Padres’ bullpen for Sunday’s series finale against the Royals. Peralta has been a key cog in the club’s bullpen this season, compiling a 2.23 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and a 31/19 K/BB ratio across 48 1/3 innings of work. Ron Marinaccio was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Peralta’s father passed away just prior to the break. The reliever will be eligible to rejoin the Padres this weekend.

Canning will enter the contest after lefty opener Wandy Peralta tangles with the top of the Los Angeles order. The 30-year-old holds a lackluster 7.09 ERA across 47 innings this season in his San Diego debut.

It’ll be Wandy Peralta getting the nod as San Diego’s opener with Canning to follow in a bulk role. The 30-year-old limited the Cardinals to just one run over 4 1/3 innings behind an opener his last time out. The decision is a slight boost to his fantasy appeal as it gives him better odds of lasting into the middle innings and qualifying for a win.

Giolito was scheduled to take the ball against the Dodgers this weekend. That’s no longer happening. He’ll undergo imaging to determine the severity of the issue and his next steps. The 31-year-old has been hit hard and battled control issues during his Padres debut, registering an underwhelming 5.16 ERA and 18/23 K/BB ratio across 29 2/3 innings. He’s likely to wind up pitching in a bulk relief role once he’s healthy again.

Giolito allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out two. His fastball averaged 90.2 mph today, which is three mph down from where he was last year in Boston. That he has even a 5.16 ERA at this point is kind of impressive, what with his horrible 18/23 K/BB through 29 2/3 innings. It’s probably time for the Padres to try someone different in his spot. Maybe he’ll agree to go on the IL and work on building arm strength.

Giolito turned in a respectable performance after opener Wandy Peralta tossed a scoreless opening frame, holding St. Louis to just three runs into the late stages of the contest. Unfortunately, he was outdueled by his Cardinals counterpart Dustin May, who tossed a complete-game shutout. He finished with two strikeouts and issued three walks. He’s struggled to work deep into starts and has had difficulty throwing strikes during his Padres debut, but he holds a respectable 4.56 ERA across 25 2/3 innings. He’ll get the ball in a road matchup against the Rangers on Sunday to close out a two-start week.

Giolito tossed a scoreless first inning, then gave up a run on a walk and a hit in the second. An error by Giolito with the bases loaded in the third would bring a second run in. He’d strand one more runner in a scoreless fourth, ending his day at 85 pitches with five walks and three strikeouts. Through five outings, the 31-year-old right-hander carries a 4.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, and a 14/18 K/BB ratio across 20 2/3 innings. He’ll take on the Cardinals in St. Louis on Monday.