Nick Pivetta’s elbow stiffness adds to Padres SP woes

San Diego Padres SP Matt Waldron (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

The San Diego Padres are on a roll, as they have won nine of their last 11 games. They sit comfortably in second place in the National League West. But the momentum may turn for the worse after Nick Pivetta left his last start with right elbow stiffness. The injury has forced the Padres to place the right-hander on the injured list.

The Friars cannot afford another significant blow to their starting rotation. Joe Musgrove is still recovering from elbow surgery, and losing another key contributor like Pivetta has placed the rotation in a period of uncertainty.

Add the poor showing from German Marquez in his first three starts with the Padres. Suddenly, the team’s starting pitching depth has been challenged. Marquez has a 5.54 ERA with a 1.69 WHIP over 13 innings pitched. With the recent rash of injuries and bad outings at the beginning of the season, the Friars need to identify reliable starters who can throw quality innings.

Waldron has embraced becoming a knuckleball pitcher

Matt Waldron has been trying to perfect the knuckleball, so it becomes the main weapon in his pitching arsenal. He aims to throw his knuckleball at least 75% of the pitches thrown in every start. It would be a significant increase from previous seasons, which were approximately 38%.

He is looking to rebound from a disappointing 2025 season. An oblique injury hampered Waldron and limited him to one start last summer. It was a late June start against the Philadelphia Phillies, as the right-hander struggled with his control. He walked six batters in a 4-0 defeat.

Give Waldron credit for trying to reinvent himself on the mound. He needed to learn to trust the knuckleball. Waldron came to Peoria with newfound confidence, as he threw the knuckleball in the 75-80 MPH range this spring. The velocity will remind older baseball fans of former major leaguer Tom Candiotti.

The hope is to combine the knuckler with his fastball to keep opposing hitters baffled inside the batter’s box. Waldron wants to disrupt their timing with the knuckler’s movement toward home plate.

Hart might be too valuable to take out of ‘pen

Kyle Hart opened the 2026 campaign as the long man in the bullpen. In six appearances, Hart has pitched 11 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits. His control has been up and down with five walks and only six strikeouts this season.

Part of Hart’s struggles stems from lowering his arm slot during his delivery toward home plate. It has been a struggle to maximize movement on his sweeper and sinker. When he has been successful in games, he induces batters to hit groundballs at a 57.6% rate. His delivery forces hitters to begin their swing early and make weak contact.

The left-hander has 30 major league appearances, including nine career starts. It would be tough to transition back into being a starting pitcher, as Hart needs to stretch his arm out to go more than a couple of innings of work.

Having an experienced pitcher filling the long man’s role in the bullpen is a luxury. Hart might be a better asset to keep a game close after a poor start than to replace Marquez in the starting rotation.

The Friars will have Waldron take over Pivetta’s spot in the starting rotation. He is ready for the challenge.

Waldron may not be the ideal foundation piece for the rotation, but he is ready to change the Friar Faithful’s opinion of him on the mound.