Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove injuries reveal Padres' most glaring trade deadline need

The Friar faithful got a double-dose of bad news over the weekend when both Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove landed on the injured list. Darvish is dealing with a hamstring issue, while Musgrove is sidelined with inflammation in his elbow.

The San Diego Padres are now missing their 1-2 punch atop their starting rotation. Though neither pitcher has really ascended to level that most Pads fans are used to seeing, San Diego needs the top of their rotation to be on the field in order to have any shot of chasing down the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers.

While Dylan Cease has been as advertised and Michael King has shown flashes during his first year with the Padres, AJ Preller may need to get on the horn to bring in some reinforcements if Darvish and Musgrove are going to miss extended time. Currently, it looks as if the Padres will be using Randy Vasquez and Adam Mazur to fill out the rotation.

Padres' injury woes with Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove reveal most glaring trade deadline need

Everybody knows that Preller has no problem pulling off blockbuster trades. Over the last six months, Preller has successfully shipped Juan Soto off to the Bronx while also bringing in Cease and Luis Arráez. But Preller may need to work his magic once again in order to bring San Diego something they desperately need at the trade deadline — durable starting pitching.

So who might that include? For starters, Preller needs to avoid another call to South Beach. While it seems as if the Padres hit a home run trading for Luis Arráez, the Friars need to avoid the fool's gold that is Jesús Luzardo.

Though extremely talented, if the Padres are looking for durable starters, Luzardo is not the guy. Last season was the only year in which Luzardo eclipsed 110 innings pitched during his career. Luzardo has undergone Tommy John surgery in the past, and had a history of arm injuries in the minors.

There are, however, a number of potential trade candidates to keep an eye on. Tyler Anderson (Los Angeles Angels), Chris Bassitt (Toronto Blue Jays), and Erick Fedde are just a few pitchers who've consistently answered the bell over the last several years and could be available at the MLB trade deadline.

Obviously the focus at the moment is on the overall health of the players currently on the Padres roster. But if one of Darvish or Musgrove is going to miss significant time, Preller knows a starter who can toe the rubber every fifth day will be one of his top priorities later this summer. Surprisingly, the Padres still have the assets in their farm system to make a big move at the deadline if necessary.

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