Demoted Padres starter begins redemption arc with solid first outing in minors

After getting demoted rather shockingly and abruptly, JP Sears made his debut with Triple-A El Paso on August 12, as the southpaw tossed five frames, allowing only two runs on five hits, and striking out three batters while issuing two free passes. The revenge tour is just beginning for the 29-year-old who is looking to return to the major leagues.

Sears was acquired alongside relief pitcher Mason Miller in the deal with the Athletics in a blockbuster move. It was a monumental trade that saw four different prospects depart the Padres organization as part of the return package. With that in mind, perhaps Sears deserves another shot in the bigs.

JP Sears could be sneaky rotation piece that keeps Padres afloat

While the trade was centered around Miller, the team included Sears in the deal to add more starting pitching depth to complement the big three of Michael King, Nick Pivetta, and Dylan Cease.

Sears made his Friars debut on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and he struggled mightily. In five innings of work, he allowed five earned runs on ten hits while striking out four batters in a game where the Padres lost 6–2.

The poor performance prompted manager Mike Shildt and the front office to option the struggling lefty to the minors, just so he could regain his confidence. And after his first start in the minors, it is clear that the adjustments being made are paying off.

San Diego is in need of help in the starting rotation as Michael King is heading back to the injured-list with inflammation in his left knee. King was recently activated from the 60-day IL after recovering from a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder. While losing the ace of the rotation is a major bummer, this stint will likely be way shorter.

With the injury to King, this could be a path to Sears rejoining the rotation at some point. After all, he put up a decent outing at the Triple-A level.

While it was Randy Vasquez who was recalled to the major leagues, Sears' most recent performance is certainly a foundation to build off of. It is evident that he is improving, and that we could see him up with the big league squad soon.