Ryan Bergert aiming for extended run in Padres rotation

San Diego Padres pitcher Ryan Bergert has already made a breakthrough in the 2025 campaign — and clearly he’s just getting started. After making his Major League debut in late April, he quietly impressed with four scoreless innings across four relief appearances, the 25-year-old right-hander is now being asked to take on a much bigger role. 

With Michael King sidelined due to a pinched nerve, the Padres are turning to Bergert as a potential stabilizer in the back end of their rotation. Bergert made his first MLB start on June 3rd and showed he's more than just a stopgap. Facing the division-rival San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, Bergert delivered an efficient five-inning performance allowing two runs on six hits and two walks, striking out a pair and limiting hard contact for most of the night. The only blemish came in the third inning, when Heliot Ramos capitalized on a leadoff double by Patrick Bailey with a two-run homer.

Ryan Bergert aims to solidify spot in Padres rotation after first MLB start

The Padres offense eventually rewarded his effort, rallying to tie the game in the ninth inning on a clutch two-run single by Manny Machado and sealing a 3–2 victory in the 10th with Jake Cronenworth’s walk-off single. While Bergert didn’t factor into the decision, his performance in a pressure-packed rivalry game may hint at more to come.

His path to this moment has been steady. Drafted in the sixth round in 2021 out of West Virginia, he’s consistently climbed through the farm system — turning heads in the minors with solid command. That pedigree, along with his promising spring training showing earlier this year, earned him a chance in the bullpen — and now he’s got a legitimate shot in the rotation.

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, Bergert is positioned to hold down the fifth starter spot for the foreseeable future. The opportunity is his to seize, and the timing couldn’t be better for a Padres team still hunting down the first place Los Angeles Dodgers. It’s still early, but if his first start was any indication, Ryan Bergert may not just be a temporary fill-in.