Jeremiah Estrada’s latest setback makes Padres’ bullpen depth matter more than ever

The Padres built their bullpen to make the late innings seemingly unfair. Anchored by Mason Miller and company, it looks terrifying on paper. But unfortunately, health can get in the way. Jeremiah Estrada is back on the 15-day IL with a right shoulder impingement, his third IL stint of the season and his third different injury. Right elbow tendinitis cost him three weeks in April. Right knee inflammation wiped out nearly two months of his summer. Now the shoulder has interrupted his stretch run, and the Padres have offered no firm timetable for his return.

It’s pretty bad luck for Estrada and a problem the Friars cannot simply shrug off. When he’s healthy, he has delivered a 3.48 ERA, a 3.01 FIP and 38 strikeouts in 31 innings.

San Diego can survive one missing name. It proved that on Aug. 26. Miller and Morejón were unavailable, Estrada had just landed on the IL, and the Padres still blanked Pittsburgh, 3-0. Yuki Matsui and Bradgley Rodríguez handled the back end.

Jeremiah Estrada’s shoulder injury changes San Diego’s late-inning plan

David Morgan’s recall can’t be treated like a clerical roster move. He’s not Estrada, but he does need to provide solid work immediately. Matsui and Rodríguez must keep taking pressure off of Miller and Morejón. It’s not going to work if Stammen has to burn his best arms for four or five outs every night to hold the Padres’ position in the Wild Card race in September.

Jason Adam is also working his way back from his own shoulder strain. It's interesting because this bullpen is still holding its own despite having solid arms on the shelf.

So far in August, the Padres bullpen is second in WAR (2.0) behind the Los Angeles Angels and third in ERA (2.69) behind the Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox. This late in the season, most games aren’t going to follow a clean script with injuries that affect roster construction. Somebody with less name recognition will sometimes get the seventh inning with two runners aboard.

That pitcher now matters as much as the closer waiting behind him. Estrada’s injury changes the margin, but not the assignment. The Padres still need to shorten games and protect narrow leads. They just need more people to help do it. If Morgan, Matsui and Rodríguez can keep the bridge standing until Estrada and Adam return, San Diego’s bullpen remains a weapon.

If they cannot, “super-bullpen” was just a shiny label for a top-heavy group.

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