San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King was scheduled to start on May 24 against the Atlanta Braves, but he was scratched and ever since, he has yet to return. King is dealing with a pinched nerve in his right shoulder. Earlier this week, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reported that King will be out past the All-Star break.
It’s not a common injury and the closest comparison is Tigers outfielder Parker Meadows, who missed two months this season due to a musculocutaneous nerve issue. Learning that Meadows returned to baseball activity on June 2, King expressed optimism about his recovery.
“The Tigers PT was like, ‘Oh my God, that’s night and day’ (from Meadows’ injury),” King said. “Like, ‘He’s so much more advanced than where Parker was at this stage,’ which gives me confidence.”
However, it doesn’t mean King will get on the mound that soon. Meadows isn’t a pitcher and as such, the comparison is a little vague. But it gives a starting point for us to think about King’s return from nerve injury. Nonetheless, the right-hander is happy with his recovery process, saying he is confident that he’ll return by the end of the year.
“I’ve had days where I’ve been really, really frustrated with it and been really sore and felt like I didn’t get much activity that day, King said. “And then I’ll wake up the next day and all of a sudden (it’s) like, ‘Oh my God, I feel like I can pitch in a game right now.’ So it’s taking it step by step and knowing that it can fire when it fires, but obviously, it’s that annoying process. I’ve got a ton of confidence that what we’re doing is the correct thing to do, and I’ve felt my body progress in great ways … So I’m very confident that I will pitch by the end of the year.”
Before he hit the injured list, King was having a great 2025. He started 10 games, including one complete game, and he has posted an ERA of 2.59 while holding batters to a WHIP of 1.02.
