Nick

Pivetta

It’s merely a procedural move to free up a spot on San Diego’s 40-man roster. Pivetta remains without a return timeline and still hasn’t resumed a throwing progression after hitting the injured list with a flexor strain back on April 15. The Padres are optimistic he’ll pitch again this season, but that’s unlikely to happen until the second half of the year, if at all.

Pivetta’s return timeline remains a bit nebulous but the Padres have expressed confidence that he’ll pitch again this season. The 33-year-old hit the injured list with a right elbow flexor strain back on April 15. The biggest variable for fantasy managers to watch is whether he’s able to ramp up his throwing progression without any soreness or discomfort.

Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters they believe it’ll be weeks, maybe months before Pivetta returns to San Diego’s rotation. The 33-year-old expressed confidence he’ll pitch again this season, but fantasy managers should still anticipate a lengthy absence. The greater concern is that flexor strains are often a precursor to more significant elbow issues and can sometimes lead to UCL surgery if rest and rehabilitation prove ineffective. There should be a more definitive return timetable once Pivetta ramps up a throwing program. It’s not a worst-case scenario, but it’s hardly an encouraging update.

Pivetta declined to share with reporters what an MRI on his right elbow revealed, which isn’t a great sign. The 33-year-old will not require surgery, for now, after hitting the injured list with elbow inflammation earlier this week. He’s opted for the rest and rehabilitation route and is likely facing a multi-week absence, even in a best-case scenario. There should be a clearer return timetable once he ramps up a throwing program. It’s not a worst-case scenario, but it’s challenging for fantasy managers to feel great about this latest development.

No word yet on how much time Pivetta will miss. The 33-year-old veteran has presumably undergone an MRI to determine the severity of the issue and there should be a clearer timetable at some point this week. He was lifted from Sunday’s start against the Rockies after firing three shutout frames. It’ll be Matt Waldron coming up to take his spot in San Diego’s rotation.

Waldron would be taking the place of Nick Pivetta (elbow) later this week against the Angels. The 29-year-old righty is currently on the injured list due to a well-publicized glute infection from back in spring training. It’s a strong matchup but he’s not worth the risk as a streaming option in fantasy leagues.

Pivetta will assuredly undergo imaging to determine his status going forward, but obviously, this is potentially a significant injury for the right-hander. The 33-year-old has been one of the more durable hurlers in baseball in the decade, but a trip to the injured list now seems more likely than not. Stay tuned for further updates on Pivetta’s status in the coming days.

Pivetta has bounced back nicely from a poor Opening Day start, striking out eight in consecutive outings. He took the L tonight, leaving him 1-2 with a 5.54 ERA, but little has changed in his outlook. He gets the Rockies at home next time out on Sunday.

Pivetta washed away his Opening Day woes with a strong start here against the offensively inept Giants. He still struggled to miss bats or command any of his secondary offerings though. So, he responded by throwing his fastball 68% of the time and overpowering the Giants’ hitters up in the zone. He’s scheduled to Pirates on the road followed by the Rockies on the road in what’s lined up for a two-start week coming up.

Pivetta also issued three free passes on the day while striking out four. The Tigers got to him for four runs in the opening inning, as Pivetta walked Spencer Torkelson with the bases loaded before allowing a two-run double to Kevin McGonigle and a run-scoring knock to Dillon Dingler. He then served up a two-run blast to Dingler in the third. Pivetta got 11 whiffs on 69 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of 26 percent. He’ll try to put this one behind him and get back on track when he does battle against the Giants on Wednesday.