Padres: Positive COVID tests have major impacts to postseason

The Padres and Giants game on Friday night was postponed and making up the games will have a significant impact on the postseason.

Approximately an hour or so before the scheduled first pitch, the Padres and Giants game on Friday night was postponed due to a member of the Giants testing positive for Covid-19.  Saturday’s game has already been postponed, and there could be a chance that Sunday’s game gets pushed as well.

With 14 games to go, the Padres are sitting in a comfortable spot, and all eyes are on the postseason-something not seen since 2006. But for now, the league will likely require the two teams to make up the games. With both squads set to face off in the final series of the shortened season, there’s a chance for several doubleheaders.

MLB reduced games to just seven innings in such scenarios in an effort to make sure all the games were completed without completely burning everyone out. However, the primary concern is how will the Padres manage their pitching staff if every game in that final series is a DH?

Certainly, you’d also hope the bullpen doesn’t get spent trying to finish out the year as well. Honestly, the best case that can happen is the Padres have clinched a playoff spot and potentially a seed by the time that final series rolls around. And if the Giants have been eliminated at that point, perhaps the league scraps the makeup games. But if one or the other has yet to occur, they’ll have to get creative to ensure that no starter is exhausted heading into the postseason.

I suppose the Padres could call up MacKenzie Gore and recall Luis Patino from the team’s alternate site to make back-to-back starts. Another option is to have someone like Luis Perdomo wear a start, for a lack of a better phrase. And certainly, Joey Lucchesi remains a viable option to come up for a start. But obviously, the goal is the preserve the health of the guys that are going to pitch when it matters.

It’ll be interesting to see how this all unfolds and what rotten luck, too, as the Padres were absolutely rolling heading into a big three-game set against the Dodgers starting Monday.