Griffin Canning’s return window could become a turning point for Padres’ rotation

The Padres' 2026 starting rotation is going to be a matter of if it can stay healthy. With Nick Pivetta and Michael King being the only notables returning, there is a ton of uncertainty surrounding the rest of the unit.

San Diego will get right-hander Joe Musgrove back after he spent the entirety of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John Surgery. 

Randy Vasquez and JP Sears round out the back-end as the number four and five guys; this is subject to change throughout camp, though.

Padres’ Griffin Canning update could carry bigger rotation stakes than expected

The Padres don’t have much pitching depth, and it could really hurt them in the long run, especially if injuries hit them.

However, one free agent signing by A.J. Preller and his team may have the opportunity to really pay dividends for San Diego, as his return from injury may be earlier than most expected.

The Padres signed right-hander Griffin Canning to a one-year, $2.5 million contract even though he tore his Achilles tendon in June. What’s even crazier is that Canning may return much earlier than expected, with him and the team pushing for a late April debut.

In all likelihood, his season debut will likely be pushed back to the month of May or even June. But it is very comforting that help may be on the way for Craig Stammen and the Padres' rotation.

In 2025, Canning went 7–3 in his starts with a 3.77 ERA over 76.1 innings pitched. A groundball machine, Canning induced them more than 50% of the time, which will play well to the exceptional infield defense that San Diego has.

Adding Canning to the most volatile part of the rotation could pay huge dividends, as he had a solid track record during his time with the New York Mets, leading up to his injury. He will also be playing in a much more pitcher-friendly ballpark.

Padres fans should be excited to see Canning when he makes his return.