Padres’ Nick Pivetta injury update may not be as concerning as first feared

Nick Pivetta gave Padres fans an ugly visual during his first rehab appearance. After throwing 14 pitches on Aug. 4, he walked straight off the mound and disappeared into the dugout with frustration written all over him.

He’s been sidelined since April with a right elbow flexor strain, that scene set off every alarm for the Friars. Our initial concern was entirely justified. Elbow tightness during a rehab assignment doesn’t exactly inspire comfortable thoughts. The follow-up makes the situation look considerably less grim.

Nick Pivetta’s post-exit bullpen gives Padres a reason to exhale

According to manager Craig Stammen, Pivetta caught his breath after leaving the game and went into an indoor batting cage to continue throwing. He completed another 20 to 30 pitches, used his entire arsenal and reported feeling fine. That’s a relief.

Pivetta didn’t spend the rest of the night in the training room like we would’ve assumed. He essentially just got back on a different mound and completed what amounted to a full bullpen session without another issue. That doesn’t erase the tightness issue, though it changes the tone of the initial story.

His stuff also appeared fine before he initially left his rehab outing. He recorded two outs, threw 14 pitches and reached 95 mph with his fastball. Nothing about the performance screamed that he was having any problems. The panic came from the abrupt departure, and understandably so.

It’s actually good when a rehabbing pitcher is highly sensitive to anything that feels unusual. Pivetta has already spent nearly four months trying to avoid surgery and work his way back from injury.

Now comes the part that actually determines whether this was a setback. The Padres are going to wait and see how Pivetta’s elbow responds after it has had time to cool off.

If Pivetta reports normal recovery and returns to the mound without delay, his late-August target could remain intact. Recurring tightness or additional testing that could pause his program would quickly change the outlook.

Their rotation has already been upgraded thanks to the acquisition of Casey Mize and Robbie Ray. Adding Pivetta or Joe Musgrove down the stretch would be a luxury at this point compared to how they were managing the rotation before. But it would still be great to get the version of Pivetta who emerged as its ace in 2025. 

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