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NL West Notes: King, Waldron, Ohtani, Giants

By Nick Deeds | May 31, 2025 at 10:38pm CDT

The Padres provided an update on the status of right-hander Michael King earlier today, as relayed by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The good news is that King’s shoulder issue, which sent him to the injured list just last weekend, is not structural in nature. Rather, Sanders writes that the right-hander is dealing with a pinched nerve. Less fortunate, however, is that the Padres remain in the dark about what King’s timetable for a return to action will ultimately look like.

“Now that we’ve been able to locate what the issue is … just trying to get a handle on how to release that nerve a little bit that’s preventing that (scapula) from being able to fire appropriately,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said, as relayed by Sanders. “We’ve got some really smart people, including Michael himself, involved with that process that will get that going as soon as possible, and how soon that is is to the discretion of that nerve.”

The cause of the pinched nerve isn’t known, though King was initially scratched from his start last week due to discomfort in his shoulder after sleeping on it uncomfortably the night prior. Sanders adds that King sought a second opinion on the issue earlier this week and that, because he’s already started to improve, the Padres are not yet ruling out him resuming playing catch by the end of next week. That would potentially allow him to return to the rotation shortly after his minimum stint on the injured list expires without a rehab start, although ultimately King won’t be able to return until the nerve issue has completely resolved itself. Sanders suggests that right-hander Matt Waldron, who pitched 146 2/3 innings for San Diego last year but has been sidelined all season so far due to an oblique strain, could be ready to return from the injured list in the near future and take up King’s rotation spot while he’s on the shelf.

More from around the NL West…

  • The Dodgers watched as Shohei Ohtani continued his slow-going return to pitching earlier today, as Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report that the superstar threw two innings of live BP against the Dodgers’ minor league hitters this afternoon. Harris notes that’s a slight uptick from last week’s 22 pitches, and that Ohtani recorded one strikeout and one walk along during the session. After the session, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including USA Today’s Bob Nightengale) that the outing was a “positive” one for Ohtani, though his command wasn’t quite as sharp as his last time out. That Ohtani is continuing to make progress in his rehab is encouraging, although he remains expected to not pitch until some point in the second half of the season. Fortunately, rehabbing hasn’t seemed to slow him down one bit at the plate, as he entered play today slashing .294/.394/.670 with a 187 wRC+, 22 homers and 11 steals.
  • The Giants could be looking to make a change at first base in the near future, even with top prospect Bryce Eldridge not yet at Triple-A. As Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on yesterday, the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento tabbed former top prospect Marco Luciano to serve as their first baseman in a game earlier this week. It’s a new position for the 23-year-old, who has already appeared at second base, shortstop, and in left field over the years, but Rubin notes that the River Cats are expected to continue using Luciano at first going forward as concern mounts about the club’s production at the position in the majors. LaMonte Wade Jr. is the club’s starter at the position, but after entering the year with a 115 wRC+ in a Giants uniform he’s slashed just .171/.278/.279 with a wRC+ of 60 across 48 games. Luciano has yet to hit in the majors himself, with a career 68 wRC+ in the majors, but even his meager production in 126 career plate appearances would be an improvement over Wade’s numbers this season. Plus, Luciano is a former consensus top-20 prospect in the sport who may be able to tap into that potential if offered regular reps at the big league level. While Luciano begins to learn the new position, the Giants will hope that Jerar Encarnación’s eventual return from the injured list is enough to help improve the club’s first base production going forward.
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Los Angeles Dodgers Notes San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Jerar Encarnacion LaMonte Wade Jr. Marco Luciano Matt Waldron Michael King Shohei Ohtani

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46 Comments

  1. bucsfan0004

    3 weeks ago

    With the current injury rate of Dodgers pitchers being 100%, why risk Ohtani to pitching? This isnt Anaheim, where they had nothing, and Ohtani could hijack the team to do whatever… the Dodgers have titles to win, and risking him to pitching seems like an incredibly risky move.

    2
    Reply
    • Bivouac-Sal

      3 weeks ago

      Thanks for your concern. Ohtani and Yamamoto will lead the Dodgers staff in October. As great a hitter as Shohei is, he is even more valuable on the mound.

      4
      Reply
    • fred-3

      3 weeks ago

      He’s already proven he can hit while recovering from TJS

      3
      Reply
    • Datashark

      3 weeks ago

      They are only dishing out $2m this season, gotta be lowest paid at the moment let him pitch maybe he can show why the 68m in 2032 was worth it. /sarc

      1
      Reply
      • Tigers3232

        3 weeks ago

        @Datashark They are disshing out another $44M this year to fund the deferrals that $ will accrue to the $68M by time of collection.

        2
        Reply
        • Datashark

          3 weeks ago

          note I was being sarcastic.

          1
          Reply
    • BlueSkies_LA

      3 weeks ago

      I wasn’t aware of this statistic, but I am aware that Ohtani was never going to sign a contract with any team that wasn’t going to let him pitch.

      4
      Reply
      • bucsfan0004

        3 weeks ago

        I get the injury rate for pitching is very high regardless across the league, but doesnt there have to be a problem with whatever the Dodgers organization is teaching, whether it be higher velocity, higher spin rate, etc? Because their pitchers are indeed getting injured more frequently and the sample size is getting larger and larger. Hate to see Ohtani get thrown into that mess

        2
        Reply
        • Ignorant Son-of-a-b

          3 weeks ago

          Yes, because the Dodgers keep doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. Yet their pitchers keep getting hurt. Ohtani should give up the two-way player narcissism and learn to play right field and just be a damn good hitter for the rest of his career. Two Tommy John’s already, another one will not only wipe out his pitching career but could seriously jeopardize his power stroke as well. Not worth it.

          2
          Reply
        • Brad Johnson

          3 weeks ago

          I think it’s mostly a matter of selection. They’re a club that believes it’s better to roster injury prone, elite pitchers than durable mediocre pitchers. As for their pitching prospects, young pitchers are especially prone to injury. I’m not sure the Dodgers injury rate is higher than league average in that cohort.

          6
          Reply
        • derail76

          3 weeks ago

          It’s the type of arms that the Dodgers target. They love the max extension, max velo, and max spin rate guys. They go after the high risk arms. The type of arms that like to break. That’s why they have like 15 of them, and they just have to hope that they have at least 3 healthy starters in October.

          3
          Reply
        • BlueSkies_LA

          3 weeks ago

          It’s easy to assume that the Dodgers are doing “something wrong” in training their pitchers, or signing “injury-prone” free agents, but I don’t know that the data actually proves this theory. Everything the Dodgers do now is put under the microscope, but this doesn’t mean they are having statistically worse results with pitching injuries than any other team.

          The reality, it seems to me, is the probability of any given starting pitcher missing significant playing time to an injury over a five-year period is pretty close to 100%. When that happens is anybody’s guess. A lot of fans will say it’s predictable, but only after the fact. Everybody knows the future after it happens.

          Reply
        • Baseballisthebest

          3 weeks ago

          The number of Dodgers pitcher trips to the IL this season is more than double MLB average. They have used an MLB record number of pitchers in the first half of a season and June just started.

          Reply
        • BlueSkies_LA

          3 weeks ago

          As I am well aware. I am also aware that we are only a third of the way into the season.

          Reply
        • Datashark

          3 weeks ago

          Dodgers tend to sign some injury prone pitchers that are High risk/High reward.

          They don’t care because they do not worry about financials, so by the time trade deadline comes they have a enough surplus in AAA/AA to deal for pitcher(s) a team would like to get off their books. They are the only team that can take 20 SPs and keep the train rolling.

          Reply
        • BlueSkies_LA

          3 weeks ago

          The Dodgers, just like every other team, worry more about financials than anything else, given they are in a business, and businesses always seeks to maximize profit. The entire concept of an “injury-prone pitcher” is pretty vague, since virtually all pitchers are prone to injury. Far fewer make it through a career without a significant injury than those who don’t. These injuries aren’t nearly as predictable as many fans seem to believe. Anyway, quite a few of the Dodgers pitchers currently on the IL or recently came off long IL stints weren’t signed as free agents. Gonsolin, May, Ryan, and Sheehan, just to name a few.

          Reply
    • Boston’s Alignment

      3 weeks ago

      What is this nonsense, besides one of the WOAT mlbtr posts? Bucs should rest Skenes. He might break.

      Reply
    • freddiemeetgibby

      3 weeks ago

      You people try SO hard to discredit the dodgers, but they just keep winning.

      Reply
      • Ignorant Son-of-a-b

        3 weeks ago

        Well Dodger revenue streams allow them to add obscene layers of depth to withstand the countless pitching injuries and player injuries. That’s why they keep on winning; the B and C options on their depth charts are in many cases better than most teams A options. (though the B & C options themselves have succumbed to and healed from myriad arm injuries.)

        1
        Reply
  2. Old York

    3 weeks ago

    Ugh, Padres can’t catch a break with King’s pinched nerve. No timetable? That’s sketchy.

    Reply
    • Brew’88

      3 weeks ago

      on top of that, they suck at hitting

      2
      Reply
  3. CKinSTL

    3 weeks ago

    Oh, that’s right.. Ohtani can pitch too. I was so mesmerized by his offensive stats and nearly forgot.

    3
    Reply
  4. Datashark

    3 weeks ago

    Luciano is a bust batting .216 they have moved him around the field yet still cannot swing bat enough to compensate poor glove.

    2
    Reply
    • gbs42

      3 weeks ago

      He has 126 PA in the big leagues. Way too soon to call him a bust.

      3
      Reply
      • oldgfan

        3 weeks ago

        Ya right, 23 and folks calling him a bust ?
        Hate on, O ‘ignorant ones.

        1
        Reply
      • Datashark

        3 weeks ago

        He has been in minors since 2019 and Giants have tried fitting him into any type of role — he just has not become what people thought he might become. His rise through minors has shown to be progressively worse

        Reply
        • gbs42

          3 weeks ago

          He’s 23 years old, and while he very well might not work out, it’s too soon to declare he’s a bust.

          3
          Reply
        • Jean Matrac

          3 weeks ago

          Heliot Ramos through age 23:

          MLB, .158/.220/.250, OPS+ 32
          MiLs, .267/.341/.449, .789 OPS

          Marco Luciano through age 23:

          MLB, .217/.286/.304, OPS+ 68
          MiLs, .252/.359/.449, .808 OPS

          That’s no guarantee that Luciano will break out like Ramos, but it should be crystal clear that a declaration that Luciano is a bust is premature.

          1
          Reply
        • foppert3

          3 weeks ago

          The watchers say he is showing some positive signs. Average is no good but hitting with power.

          1
          Reply
  5. winniejones31

    3 weeks ago

    When will Darvish be back?

    Reply
  6. TrillionaireTeamOperator

    3 weeks ago

    So…. King could be forced to exercise his half of that $15M option…

    Reply
  7. bwmiller79

    3 weeks ago

    A lot of pinched nerves these days. Verlander, McLanahan and now King. Is it me or does the pinched nerve seem like a cover for “we’re just resting our guy without taking up a roster spot”

    Reply
    • Jerry Hairston Jr's Toupee

      3 weeks ago

      Pinched nerve is the new shoulder impingement….

      Reply
    • Jean Matrac

      3 weeks ago

      Verlander has a pectoral strain, not a pinched nerve.

      1
      Reply
      • bwmiller79

        3 weeks ago

        I thought I had read it was a pectoral nerve issue, but hanks for the clarification.

        Reply
  8. Boston’s Alignment

    3 weeks ago

    The ignorance in this thread is legendary. Keep posting!

    3
    Reply
    • Candlestoked

      3 weeks ago

      Please don’t add to it.

      Reply
  9. gbs42

    3 weeks ago

    But how has Luciano done *in the majors*?

    Reply
    • oldgfan

      3 weeks ago

      Little time, that’s it.

      Reply
  10. JayRyder

    3 weeks ago

    Eldridge will be here by Sept.

    1
    Reply
    • gravel

      3 weeks ago

      Naw. Unless he dominates AA, he won’t move to AAA.

      Reply
    • foppert3

      3 weeks ago

      I doubt it. His defence needs time.

      Reply
      • KirkRueter

        3 weeks ago

        It’s 1B lol how hard can it be

        Reply
        • foppert3

          3 weeks ago

          The people watching him play suggest it’s harder than you think. Work to do is the word.

          Reply
  11. goob

    3 weeks ago

    Positional questions aside, Luciano’s calling card was always his offensive potential. Except that so far, his batting successes as a minor leaguer have only happened at the lowest levels. This year is his 3rd go-round at AAA (in the hitter-friendly PCL, no less) but he’s mired in the same mediocrity he was mired in there throughout last year.

    Yeah, he’s 23, and theoretically, he could, at some point, have a sustained breakout. That’d be great, especially since the Giants are so desperate for any kind of offensive help, and I was really hopeful that his bat was finally going to shine in the PCL this year.

    As far as I’m concerned now though, he’s firmly establishing himself as just another wing-and-a-prayer org prospect. Now, I’ll be surprised if he ever becomes anything more than that.

    2
    Reply
  12. KirkRueter

    3 weeks ago

    If Encarnacion isn’t in the lineup at 1B/RF/DH TONIGHT in San Francisco I have some serious questions.

    Reply

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