Observations From San Diego Padres Camp: Darvish, Opening Day, Pitching Competition
Michael King may have earned the spotlight for the San Diego Padres, but there are pitching conversations to be had past Opening Day.
PEORIA, Ariz. — It’s clear that Michael King earned the right to be the Opening Day starter for the San Diego Padres. However, that decision made by manager Mike Shildt set up what should be a very interesting internal competition for the Friars throughout the rest of 2025.
Dylan Cease had a legitimate shot (and argument) to be named as the Opening Day starter when the Padres host the Atlanta Braves on March 27. However, Shildt made it clear on Monday shortly after telling King he would toe the slab that the decision between Cease and King was a tight one that came down to the spring schedule.
“We had a two-horse race, and then it literally fell into just the way the days had gone,” Shildt told reporters. “Michael was a little sick early in camp, and got his schedule going in a certain way, then Dylan got his schedule going a certain way. The schedules have worked out really well, but it lines Michael up, who’s well deserving of the Opening Day starter.”
Cease and King were very much a two-horse machine for the Padres after Memorial Day, with the duo each receiving plenty of consideration from National League Cy Young Award voters (Cease finished fourth while King finished seventh).
Whoever started on Opening Day would be followed by the other it seems, especially with fellow starter Yu Darvish suffering from “general fatigue,” leaving his status for the opening of the season up in the air (more about that in a moment).
It sets up an internal competition among the starters, with Darvish and Nick Pivetta factoring in as well as what could be a very stiff foursome for the Padres. That competition, King said, is an important part of San Diego’s clubhouse chemistry.
“It’s such good competition. After every game, every start, we’re going over everything that we could have done better,” King said. “Last year, Joe Musgrove would come sit next to me after a bad outing, and I respected it, because normally you’re like, ‘I don’t want to talk to that guy. I’ll let him cool down.’ Joe let me get everything off my chest, and then also told me what I could have done better, and things that he saw in terms of sequences or mechanics or whatever it is. The next time out, when I do it, he’s so happy for me making that adjustment.
“And it’s the same thing with Dylan, Darvish, and it’s going to be the same thing with Pivetta and whoever our five is. I think that we have each other’s backs, and it’s something that we like love about each other. We know that it’s going to take all of us to win, especially to get to the playoffs after 162 [games], and then I always say pitch and win championships in the playoffs. We’re going to push ourselves to be the best we can be, and I have nothing but respect for everybody else in that rotation.”
Imagining Opening Day at Petco Park
Now that King knows he will be the Opening Day starter, he can start preparing for what will likely be a party-like atmosphere inside Petco Park.
After being acquired by the Padres from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto deal before the 2024 season, King has already seen plenty of electric atmospheres in San Diego, including the Padres’ push for the postseason and starting Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series against the same Braves he will face on Opening Day.
“I was shook by how loud it was when I was warming up during the announcements for the playoffs,” King said. “Luckily, I was able to do it twice, because it was first game of the Wild Card and then it was the first home game against the Dodgers in the DS (NL Division Series). I can’t wait to feel that that again. I think that there’s nothing like running out from the dugout when they’re cheering your name. But it’s also different when you’re out there in the bullpen and hearing it from almost from their perspective. Being out in the crowd, it’s a blast and I just try to make sure I can keep the adrenaline to a minimum while I’m out there.”
Padres Concerned About Yu Darvish?
While San Diego’s rotation will certainly carry a one-two punch with King and Cease leading it and Pivetta (signed to a four-year, $55 million deal this offseason) following close behind, questions about Darvish and his availability for the start of the season are swirling.
On Monday, shortly after discussing the selection of King as the Opening Day starter, Shildt turned to a more difficult subject and how the Padres are figuring out next steps for Darvish after experiencing “general fatigue.”
Shildt said the Padres are “backing him off a little bit” and “reevaluating the schedule” after Darvish threw 4.0 innings against the Kansas City Royals on March 13. However, Darvish hasn’t thrown since as the Padres work through how to keep Darvish healthy for not only the rest of spring, but the regular season to come as well.
“We just want to be smart getting into a long season,” Shildt said.
When asked about Darvish’s first regular-season turn through the rotation, Shildt was non-committal about his availability.
“I don’t have the information right now to say it’s going to or won’t impact it,” Shildt said.
Darvish made just 16 starts in 2024, dealing with a variety of health issues as well as missing time to attend to personal matters. He did return to start two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Division Series, posting a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 combined innings.
Looking ahead, the Padres don’t have an off day until their seven-game homestand with the Braves and Cleveland Guardians wraps up, so San Diego will have to figure out what to do with Darvish’s spot should he not be ready to go.
With Matt Waldron sidelined by an oblique injury, Stephen Kolek, Kyle Hart, and Randy Vásquez could find themselves inserted into the rotation’s initial turn not only for Darvish but also to fill San Diego’s currently open fifth starter role.
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A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA), Kevin Henry has been covering MLB and MiLB for nearly two decades. Those assignments have included…