Griffin Canning gives Padres rotation the stabilizing debut it desperately needed

Griffin Canning’s Padres debut immediately changed the temperature around San Diego’s rotation. In his first big-league start since tearing his Achilles last June, Canning gave the Padres five innings of one-run ball, struck out seven, and made the back end of the staff look sturdier than it has in weeks.

Five innings, one run, seven strikeouts, and a win after four straight Padres losses is not a full rotation fix. It’s a reason to exhale, which is probably even more useful right now. Canning threw 73 pitches, was not pushed past the fifth inning, and still gave the Padres exactly the kind of competitive start they have been chasing from the back end of the rotation.  

San Diego has spent the early part of the season trying to figure out how much it can trust the bottom of the staff. That’s not the glamorous part of roster building, but it’s usually where a good team either protects itself or starts leaking games. The Padres don’t need every starter to look like an ace. They just need enough credible innings to keep the bullpen from living in survival mode.

Canning gave them that. It wasn’t perfect. He walked three and gave up a solo homer to Drew Romo. He was also not fully built up. But that is also kind of the point. The Padres were just looking for something believable. 

Padres rotation anxiety eases after Griffin Canning’s sharp first start

He settled in after some early command trouble, kept Chicago from turning the game sideways, and finished his outing by striking out the final four hitters he faced. That’s a real sign that there may be enough stuff for San Diego to build on. Canning’s changeup looked especially sharp, and manager Craig Stammen called it a good start while making sure not to turn one outing into a full declaration.  

The Padres can be encouraged without getting carried away. They can acknowledge that Canning gave them something important without acting like the rotation no longer has questions. This is where we admit the rotation floor looked a lot sturdier than it did a few days ago.

Suddenly, the bullpen is not being asked to clean up a mess every fifth day. Lucas Giolito’s arrival does not have to feel like the only possible rescue plan. And San Diego has options instead of just concerns.

This is where the conversation around Canning should stay grounded. There will probably be hiccups. Stammen said as much, and he’s right. Canning is coming off a major injury. His pitch count still has to climb. His command will need to be sharper than it was at times in this debut. The Padres are not handing him permanent rotation security because of one good afternoon.

But they can look at this start and feel better about the bet.

They signed Canning because there was still enough in the profile to believe he could be useful. The Padres didn’t leave Canning’s debut with every rotation question answered. They left it with one less thing to panic about. At this point in the season, that’s exactly how a shaky rotation starts to feel a little more serious.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow