Padres activate Germán Márquez from 15-day IL

Márquez loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning and somehow came out of it with just one run allowed on a walk. He then settled in nicely, scattering three more baserunners over four scoreless innings, ending his day after five with four strikeouts. The 31-year-old right-hander holds a 5.02 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, and a 24/18 K/BB ratio across 37 2/3 innings. His next turn in the rotation is scheduled to come Sunday against the Blue Jays in San Diego.

Márquez threw 28 of his 47 pitches for strikes, and it’s a bit surprising the Padres didn’t look to push him for another inning. The 31-year-old was at 36 pitches in his last outing, so the team is clearly being cautious with his progression. That makes it seem like he’ll need at least one more rehab start before potentially returning to the MLB rotation.

Márquez has been out since the beginning of May with forearm nerve inflammation. He allowed just one hit on Tuesday while striking out three and not walking a single batter. He threw 23 of his 36 pitches for strikes and should try to push near 50 pitches in his next outing. He will likely need at least two more rehab starts before potentially rejoining the Padres rotation.

Márquez figures to be an option for San Diego’s rotation at some point in mid-June following a couple minor league rehab starts. The 31-year-old has been on the shelf recovering from forearm nerve inflammation since May 2.

The expectation had been that Matt Waldron would get bumped from the Padres’ rotation to accommodate the return of Griffin Canning on Sunday, but with Márquez heading to the injured list, he’ll get to stick around a bit longer. No word yet on the severity of the injury or how long they expect the 31-year-old hurler to be shelved for.

Márquez walked three and gave up a three-run homer to Munetaka Murakami as part of a six-run second inning. In all, he issued five walks for the fifth time in 206 career starts. The loss takes his ERA to 5.76, and he could be vulnerable to losing his spot if the Padres add both Griffin Canning and Lucas Giolito in the coming weeks. He’s due to face the Giants on Wednesday.

Giving up four runs over six innings in Mexico City definitely unofficially rates as quality start, much like it did in Márquez’s old home in Colorado. The win makes him 3-1 with a 4.38 ERA and a 17/7 K/BB in 24 1/3 innings. He still doesn’t make much sense in shallow leagues, but he wouldn’t be the worst option next week at home against the White Sox.

Márquez allowed just two hits — doubles by Mike Trout and Zack Neto — and he struck out five with two walks. That’s the second time in three starts that the right-hander hasn’t allowed a run, and his ERA over his first month in his first season with the Padres is now 3.86. Considering how awful Márquez was over the past two season, it’s understandable to have skepticism. It’s probably the right call. That being said, Márquez once was one of the rare successful Rockies’ starters, and maybe the grass was greener on the other side. He gets the Diamondbacks next Saturday.

In his first start against his former employer, Márquez gave up three homers and reminded fans of the Rockies why he’s no longer employed there. He was still able to get the win because his offense gave him a bushel of runs, and he was able to strike out five and walk a pair. Márquez has alternated bad outings with one good one sandwiched between, and he shouldn’t be trusted for Friday’s scheduled bout against the Angels.

Ron Marinaccio and David Morgan finished the shutout. It’s Márquez’s first win as a Padre and first overall in 13 starts since last June 18. He generated 13 whiffs tonight after notching just two in his first start against the Giants. We doubt he’ll be mixed-league relevant at any point this season, but he seemed serviceable tonight, and he’s probably ahead of Walker Buehler on the depth chart right now. He’ll next face his old buds the Rockies in a home start Saturday.