Feinsand: Padres could trade Michael King

King tossed a scoreless first inning before things got away from him in the second. After loading the bases on two hits and a hit batter, he walked two runs in, then gave up a two-run single before getting out of the jam. He gave up one more run in the fourth inning on two hits. King was replaced to start the fifth at 81 pitches with five strikeouts, ending his day with a 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and a 159/70 K/BB ratio across 185 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander would be in line to end the regular season on Sunday against the Diamondbacks in San Diego unless the team has clinched a playoff spot.

Stammen’s remark serves as a warning to fantasy managers that King, who is starting Tuesday’s series opener against the Dodgers on short rest, isn’t a lock to start Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Diamondbacks this weekend. The 31-year-old will only get the ball if it’s a win-or-go-home situation that decides whether San Diego makes the postseason. Assuming that doesn’t happen, he’ll be pushed back to Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.

Robbie Ray is getting pushed back. This puts King in position to start the finale on Sunday if it’s a must-win game. The Padres, though, would surely prefer to hold King back for the Wild Card opener.

The Rockies really made him work in the sixth — he threw 34 of his 104 pitches in that inning alone — but they managed to score just once in the frame after Troy Johnston swung at a couple of ball fours with the bases loaded and two outs. King has won four straight starts, allowing only five runs in the process. He struck out six and generated 11 whiffs today. If the Padres leave their rotation alone, King will next pitch Wednesday against the Dodgers. They could make some changes, though, depending on how tight the race is.

King surrendered a two-run homer to the red-hot Rafael Devers in the first inning. Shay Whitcomb then took him deep for a solo blast in the second. King would recover nicely, limiting the Giants to just two more hits as he pitched through the seventh inning, collecting four strikeouts. At one point, he had retired 14 straight batters. The 31-year-old right-hander will take a 3.03 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and a 148/66 K/BB ratio across 175 innings into a start against the Rockies in Colorado on Thursday.

King allowed four hits, walked three and struck out three in taking down his former team. He’s worked 19 scoreless innings in his last three starts, lowering his ERA from 3.38 to 3.00 and probably adding millions to the contract he’s going to get after opting out of his deal with the Padres this winter. He’ll face the Giants next weekend.

Thankfully for King, the ballpark in Cincy managed to hold onto 407- and 409-foot flies from Sal Stewart and Elly De La Cruz early on. They were homers in 15 and 19 ballparks, respectively. King pitched seven scoreless innings last time out, but that wasn’t enough to get him a win against the Pirates. The Padres, though, were able to support him tonight and improve to 12-16 with their ace on the mound. King, who struck out six, moved to 9-9 with a 3.11 ERA. He’s set to face his old friends the Yankees on Sunday.

King worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first inning by striking out the side to keep the Pirates off the board. He settled in nicely, stranding five more baserunners over six more scoreless innings in a pitcher’s duel against Paul Skenes. He’d end his day after seven frames with the game still tied at zero. He struck out seven. The 31-year-old right-hander will take a 3.23 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and a 135/60 K/BB ratio across 156 innings into a start against the Reds in Cincinnati on Monday.

King departed with the Mets up 2-1 in the seventh. He has been far and away the Padres’ best starter, yet after losing today, the team is now 11-15 in his outings, compared to 57-45 the rest of the time. King himself is 8-9 with a 3.38 ERA. He’ll face the Pirates next week.

This was another one of those starts where King simply wasn’t sharp. Facing an all left-handed lineup, far too many of what were meant to be front-hip sinkers bled over the heart of the plate and were tattooed. The home runs he allowed to Nathaniel Lowe and Brayan Rocchio each came off sinkers that wound up right down the middle and of the five batted balls off that pitch three were hard-hit. He also only forced four total swings-and-misses and only got through the middle innings because of all the weak contact his changeup induced. Yet, he completed six innings for the sixth time in eight tries since the start of July and continues to be the horse the Padres need him to be. He’ll take a 3.41 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 124 strikeouts, and 56 walks through 142 1/3 innings into his next scheduled start in New York against the Mets.