3 San Diego Padres pitchers who the franchise didn’t develop into an ace

Losing Joe Musgrove to shoulder inflammation is the worst scenario for the San Diego Padres this late into the season. Arguably, he is the ace of the Padres rotation, which means the other starters must pick up the pace in his absence. Their performance level is important to the team’s success than ever.

August is a terrible time to lose the ace of your pitching staff, but the injury gets everyone thinking of the starters the Friars have failed to develop. We’re describing a pitcher who offers a quality start each appearance on the mound. Often, they’re successful because of the command of their pitches, velocity and the ability to hit the corners of the strike zone.

Here are 3 pitchers who the San Diego Padres didn’t develop into an ace

RH Pitcher Dinelson Lamet

Based on his five seasons with the Friars, Dinelson Lamet was a missed opportunity. In 55 career starts, Lamet was 15-19 with a 4.08 ERA. He struggled to stay on the mound due to the vast amount of injuries sustained during his time with the Padres.

After having Tommy John surgery in 2018, there were legitimate concerns over what version of Lamet would return to the rotation. But he produced in small sample sizes, especially in 2020. Lamet won three games with a 2.09 ERA and a 2.48 FIP in 12 starts. He dominanted opposing lineups with a four-pitch repertoire (slider, sinker, four-seam fastball and changeup). Unfortunately, a bicep injury kept Lamet off the postseason roster.

Granted, counting on a pitcher returning from arm injuries has never been an exact science. Too often, we have seen starters experience setbacks in their rehabilitation that cost them effectiveness on the mound. The amount of time on the injured list stunted Lamet’s development as a starting pitcher.

RH Pitcher Corey Kluber

Corey Kluber was never considered a top-pitching prospect for the Padres. There is no rhyme or reason why Kluber blossomed into an All-Star pitcher and a two-time Cy Young award winner. Failing to recognize his potential has been a major misstep for the organization.

The Friars sent Kluber to the Cleveland Guardians in a 2010 three-team trade deadline deal that brought Ryan Ludwick to San Diego from the St. Louis Cardinals. Quickly, he was brought up to the majors and became the Guardians workhorse component of their starting rotation.

Kluber recorded double-digit victories in five out of six years (2013-18) with Cleveland. It earned him two Cy Young awards, with the first coming in 2014. Kluber went 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA in 34 starts. He dominated the competition by striking out 269 batters in 235.2 IP. Kluber came back with another stellar award-winning season in 2017. He went 18-4 with a 2.25 ERA and struck out 265 batters in 203.2 IP. Kluber was dependable and showed he could pitch deep into games.

However, a myriad of arm injuries affected his ability to contribute on the mound. After returning from a tear of the teres major muscle in his right shoulder, Kubler has become a dependable starter at the back end of several team's starting rotation. The only question is if he can stay healthy for an entire season.