Padres News: Rotation plans could shift dramatically as injured starter eyes return

The Padres’ 2025 season has already been defined by resilience and reinvention, and now their rotation could be in for another dramatic twist. With the postseason chase tightening, San Diego has been forced to get creative with its pitching plans, leaning on depth and versatility to keep pace with the Dodgers in the NL West. That effort may soon get a surprising boost: left-hander Nestor Cortes is inching closer to a return, just weeks after many believed his season might be over. His comeback attempt could change the calculus for how the Padres structure their staff down the stretch.

For a team that has seen its fair share of pitching turbulence, the timing couldn’t be more intriguing. Cortes landed on the injured list on September 5th with left biceps tendinitis, his second stint on the shelf this season after battling health issues with Milwaukee before being traded to San Diego in early August. 

Nestor Cortes’ recovery could spark late-season shakeup in Padres pitching staff

This development carries major implications for what the Padres might do moving forward. When Cortes first landed on the injured list, many assumed he had already thrown his last pitch in San Diego. His injury history, coupled with an extended stay on the IL earlier this season in Milwaukee, painted a grim outlook and left little confidence that he’d return after just the minimum stint.

At the same time, Randy Váquez’s spot in the rotation looked secure — until his recent start against the Mets, when he lasted only 2 1/3 innings before being pulled. That shaky outing reopened the door for Cortes, whose progress now forces the Padres to reevaluate their fifth-starter plan. It’s possible Cortes gets another chance to start before the season ends, though a swingman or bridge role may be the more logical fit. Testing him in that spot as soon as he’s healthy could pay dividends, particularly if San Diego wants flexibility behind Váquez.

It’s unlikely Cortes would be trusted in a three-man playoff rotation, but his value as a bridge arm, linking starters to the bullpen or providing multi-inning relief could be significant. The Padres might not need him in relief, but they should want him there, if only to deepen a bullpen that will be leaned on heavily in October.

The Padres have proven all year that they can adapt on the fly, whether it’s shuffling the lineup, mixing bullpen matchups, or leaning on unlikely contributors. Cortes’ return represents another chance to play that balancing act, with the reward being a deeper, more flexible staff for October. Even if he doesn’t reclaim a permanent rotation spot, his presence as a bridge arm or multi-inning option could give San Diego the exact kind of stability they’ll need in high-pressure games.

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