Padres Rumors: MacKenzie Gore working out at Petco Park. Debut soon?

As the Padres approach the second half of the year, a recent video shows MacKenzie Gore working on his mechanics at Petco Park. Are we close to seeing his debut?

We recently discussed the notion that the Padres may not need to have a fifth starter for the remainder of the season, given how the schedule is set and how many off days are included. But that may not prevent them from seeing their top prospect and baseball’s top pitching prospect make his debut shortly.

MacKenzie Gore was seen at Petco Park practicing his windup in front of a camera and a few coaches. Was he working on a mechanical flaw, and could he be promoted to the active roster shortly?

The Padres rotation is set for the three-game series against the Mariners, but they are going to encounter another bullpen day on the road in Colorado. That would be pretty cruel to have his debut come at Coors, but he could stand a better chance than Adrian Morejon or Luis Perdomo.

I think most expected Gore to already be part of the Padres rotation by now, even in a shortened season. And Luis Patino has been up for a while, albeit he’s exhibited some growing pains. Patino, 20, had a strong outing in Sunday’s finale against the Astros, so perhaps he’s turned a corner.

Around the league, other ballclubs have utilized the mid-point – or near the mid-point – to call up top prospects. On Tuesday, the Braves called up Ian Anderson and last week, the Marlins saw their top prospect in Sixto Sanchez get promoted as well.

With the nine-game road stretch set to begin after the Mariners series, the Padres will likely have two bullpen days. Perhaps this is all speculation, but why not work on these things at the team’s alternate training site. Let’s see what develops in the coming days, but MacKenzie Gore could very well be making his big league debut shortly.