Jason

Adam

The 34-year-old hurler is fully recovered from surgery on his quad and is finally ready to make his 2026 season debut. He’ll step right back into a setup role in front of closer Mason Miller with Jeremiah Estrada (elbow) landing on the injured list in a corresponding move on Friday.

It was a bit of a surprise when Adam hit the injured list at the end of spring training considering he looked sharp in a handful of late-spring relief outings coming off last year’s quad surgery. He’ll make a couple appearances for Double-A San Antonio later this week before presumably heading to San Diego to make his season debut.

It was looking like Adam would be ready for the start of the regular season after making a handful of Cactus League appearances at the end of spring training. The 34-year-old veteran reliever will get a little extra time in the minors as he works his way back from last year’s quad surgery.

Adam has twirled a pair of hitless frames this spring in his return from last year’s quad surgery and could potentially be on San Diego’s season-opening roster. The 34-year-old veteran will operate in a high-leverage role behind elite stopper Mason Miller.

The 34-year-old right-hander is working his way back from surgery on his quad and has been making substantial progress. He’s slated to pitch in Cactus League games on Friday and Monday, and if all goes well there, it sounds like he’ll be able to be included in the team’s Opening Day bullpen.

The Padres and Adam appear to disagree, as Adam said that “in my mind” he will be ready for Opening Day. Stammen continued by saying “We’re going to decide what’s best for him. And hopefully we’re on the same page together. We may have a different opinion at times, but we’ve got the best interest in him, not only for this season but for the rest of his career.” It appears as if Adam’s Opening Day status is in some question. Luckily Mason Miller seems well-locked into the closer’s role so it shouldn’t make much difference in leagues that don’t count holds.

Adam secures a nice pay raise over the $4.8 million that he took home in 2025. The 34-year-old hurler delivered another dominant season in his first full year with the Padres, compiling a 1.93 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and a 70/25 K/BB ratio over 65 1/3 innings before a ruptured quad tendon ended his season prematurely at the beginning of September. He’ll function in a setup capacity in front of Mason Miller once again in 2026, limiting his overall fantasy appeal.

Adam is slated to undergo season-ending surgery later this week after suffering a significant quad injury during Monday’s relief appearance against the Orioles. The 34-year-old finishes the season with a stellar 1.93 ERA across 65 1/3 innings over 65 appearances. His absence places even more pressure on elite closers Mason Miller and Robert Suarez to handle even more high-leverage situations down the home stretch.

Adam collapsed on the mound after turning around to look at a groundball. He’s almost certainly going to miss the rest of the season with the unusual injury, taking away a key pitcher in what is, on paper, baseball’s best bullpen heading towards the postseason.

The Padres are searching for an upgrade to their lineup, and Passan notes that they simply don’t have the farm system to make a trade for an impact hitter. However, they could choose to rely on the strength of the bullpen and trade away Suarez, who is leading baseball in saves but will be a free agent at the end of the season. If Suarez were dealt, the Padres would likely shift Jason Adam into the closer’s role or pair him with Adrian Morejon in a committee.