Padres hit with recurring injury nightmare ahead of pivotal series vs. Dodgers

The San Diego Padres finally thought they were out of the woods. The Friars had fought through several injuries all season long, and right as the club has picked up steam, they have been halted in their tracks one more time.

Making just one start in his return from a shoulder injury, right-handed starting pitcher Michael King is headed back to the 15-day injury list with left knee inflammation, dating back to August 11. This couldn't happen at a worse time, as San Diego is headed to Los Angeles for a major three-game series against the Dodgers.

Padres' Michael King sidelined by second injury this season just ahead of series vs. Dodgers

Michael King's return had been long-awaited, as he missed almost three months of action with shoulder problems that were never made clear to fans. He finally tossed against the San Francisco Giants on August 9, lasting two-plus innings with one strikeout and two runs allowed.

San Diego is having a red-hot stretch dating back to the end of July, and this momentum was imperative as they enter enemy territory in Hollywood. The Padres finally jumped the Dodgers in the NL West standings, and they were looking to step on LA's necks this weekend. Losing King obviously takes some wind out of their sails, but this club has been resilient all year.

Randy Vasquez was called up to replace King, who hasn't been terrible this year. He's logged a 3.93 ERA in 22 outings, which includes six quality starts. So maybe the Padres aren't completely buried, as Vasquez is a viable option to fill in the cracks (hopefully just temporarily).

Now that this injury has been made public, it's time to see what the Padres are really made of -- again. Can they put King's injury in the rearview mirror and continue building on a successful month as they oppose the World Series champs? If the Friars can hold their own - and possible nab a series win in LA - fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this team can pull through just about anything thrown their way.