Padres’ Michael King Thrives Heading into Game 2 Against Astros

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — After a seven-year hiatus from completing a game, Michael King of the San Diego Padres stepped onto the mound feeling optimistic ahead of his mid-morning bullpen session on Wednesday. The 29-year-old right-hander had just thrown a career-high 110 pitches in a shutout against the Rockies, and he admitted he was unsure of how to feel, saying, “Shockingly pretty good.”

Last week’s performance marked a significant milestone for King, who last completed a full game while playing for Double-A Trenton in the Eastern League. In addition to King’s impressive outing, he has thrown over 100 pitches in a game ten times, with the majority occurring in the previous season as he transitioned from the bullpen to a starting role. “I obviously haven’t done it in a while and I don’t really remember how it felt seven years ago,” King reflected.

King’s high pitch count in his recent shutout raised questions about his stamina going forward. However, with five days of rest planned before Saturday’s game against the Houston Astros, King indicated he expects to be unrestricted. “They won’t tell me,” he said. “If I get pulled early, you know I don’t like getting pulled early, so I’ll just leave it at that.”

This season, the Padres have placed emphasis on managing their pitching staff effectively. As the team enjoys a stretch of seven consecutive Thursdays off, starters have been pitching on a six-day schedule. Manager Mike Shildt allowed King to complete the ninth inning of his last outing, despite a single from the first hitter, a decision that King believes was influenced by the schedule and his ability to perform under pressure. “I think that also was the driving factor in terms of letting me go 100,” King said.

The Padres enter Game 2 in Houston with a record of 15-5, just ahead of the Dodgers (15-6), aiming for the best record in Major League Baseball. Their impressive plus-35 run differential ranks second in the league, just shy of the Cubs, who lead with a plus-38.

Saturday’s match will see a new addition in the outfield as Connor Joe takes his position in center field, marking his first major league game at that spot. Joe, a 32-year-old San Diego native, is stepping in due to Forrest Wall’s right shoulder injury and has only played center field this season after moving there from Triple-A El Paso. “I’ve been practicing a lot, so it should be fun,” said Joe, who is the fifth player to occupy center field for the team this season.

With players like Jackson Merrill and Brandon Lockridge on the 10-day injured list for hamstring issues, and Jason Heyward day-to-day with knee soreness, Tyler Wade will shift to second base, allowing Jose Iglesias to start at shortstop. Iglesias has been given the nod as he looks to give Xander Bogaerts a day off after Bogaerts has struggled lately, batting just .071 (1-for-14) over his last four games.

The game is set to take place at 6:10 PM PDT, while King will look to maintain his strong form against the Astros’ Hayden Wesneski, who enters with a 1-1 record and a 4.00 ERA. Wesneski achieved a career-high ten strikeouts in his last appearance, providing the Padres with a noteworthy challenge.

As the Padres gear up for the matchup, fans are optimistic about King’s rising momentum and the team’s overall trajectory this season.