The San Diego Padres are on the outside looking in at the postseason field, a little over halfway through the season. They need all of the help they can get, and fortunately, it seems like one of their starters is on track to make it back soon.
According to an article from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres starter Michael King revealed he is progressing in his injury recovery. King said of his recovery that there is a “light at the end of the tunnel.”
King has been out since May 24th after being scratched from his start, and was placed on the injured list with a shoulder issue. He is still in the recovery process, and is a ways away from returning, but he recently took positive steps towards returning.
After throwing recently, King is slowly working back towards being ready for some bullpen sessions. But while he’s working back, he’s not likely to return before the All-Star break.
The more likely scenario is that King will be out until late July, and potentially until August. If such a scenario happens, the Padres would be without their number one starter for a large chunk of the season.
When he was pitching, King was putting together a strong season. In his ten starts before going on the injured list, King had a 2.59 ERA and a 4-2 record. He struck out 64 batters and walked 17 through 55.2 innings. His 1.02 WHIP was also really strong, making his loss hurt all the more for San Diego.
With the Padres struggling lately, and on the outside looking in for the Wild Card, the news about King making progress is very welcome. While he’s a ways away, the eventual return of King is on the horizon, something that was unknown not long ago.
