Latest Michael King injury quote sounds more ominous than Padres claimed

It might be time to start sounding the alarms surrounding Michael King's injury status. The right-handed starter has been on the injured list for over two weeks with right shoulder inflammation, but it does not seem like the Padres exactly know what King's core issue is.

Dennis Lin of The Athletic shared a rather troublesome quote from San Diego manager Mike Shildt, one that sort of embarrasses the organization and their medical staff. Rightfully so, considering the Padres ace has been sidelined for a while.

"We're just in a holding pattern to see what it is and the best way to treat it, if there is a better way to treat it outside of just the rest," Shildt said.

How do Friars fans react to this? The initial thought is to panic, right? We were led to believe that King would only miss a couple of starts, and now that we have reached that benchmark, the organization is clueless on what his actual injury is, never mind how to properly treat it.

In a season with pitching injuries to Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, and Matt Waldron - who have each not pitched in MLB this season - the Padres simply cannot afford for another top-end arm to just sit in the dugout for the rest of the year. Losing Michael King, who has put together some dominant outings in 2025, would be the biggest gut punch of all.

King has cemented himself as an All-Star-level starting pitcher. In just his second campaign as a full-time starter, he boasts a 2.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts across 55 2/3 innings. The Padres need him, especially with Dylan Cease having a back-and-forth year. If King, were to be on the injured list much longer than anticipated, what could this mean for the team in 2025? Do they become buyers or sellers? Losing a guy like King could completely swing a franchise.