{"id":87193,"date":"2024-10-04T11:01:41","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T15:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=87193"},"modified":"2024-10-04T11:01:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T15:01:41","slug":"padres-nlds-rotation-outlook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/10\/04\/padres-nlds-rotation-outlook\/","title":{"rendered":"Padres Rotation Outlook Ahead Of NLDS Matchup Against Dodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The San Diego Padres are preparing for their third NLDS matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past five seasons. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both teams boast explosive lineups, but the Padres hold a crucial edge: starting pitching. While the Dodgers\u2019 rotation remains depleted by injuries\u2014missing stars like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/glasnty01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Glasnow<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kershcl01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Clayton Kershaw<\/a>\u2014the Padres&#8217; rotation looks ready to take control. After a dominant Wild Card series against the Braves, San Diego\u2019s pitching staff appears poised to carry them deeper into October and potentially back to the NLCS.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Padres Rotation Outlook Ahead Of NLDS Matchup Against Dodgers<\/h2>\n<h3>Joe Musgrove&#8217;s Uncertain Status<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Padres celebrated their first-ever postseason sweep with a win over the Braves, there was a cloud hanging over the festivities: the status of <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/musgrjo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joe Musgrove<\/a>. The hometown ace left Wednesday&#8217;s 5-4 victory early with right elbow tightness, an issue that sidelined him for much of the season before his August return. Musgrove was cruising through 3 \u2154 innings, giving up just one hit and one run and fanning four batters before the injury struck.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a postgame interview, Musgrove sounded optimistic about his recovery, telling 97.3 The Fan&#8217;s <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/g\/gwynnto02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tony Gwynn Jr.<\/a> that he felt &#8220;physically better&#8221; and hoped to be back before the end of the postseason. However, given the nature of his injury, it&#8217;s possible that his optimism was fueled by the adrenaline of the moment. Realistically, the Padres may face the harsh truth that Musgrove could be sidelined for the rest of October. Even without him, San Diego\u2019s rotation is strong enough to carry them on a deep playoff run.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">.<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/tonygwynnjr?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tonygwynnjr<\/a> spoke with Joe Musgrove about the elbow injury that caused him to leave tonight&#8217;s game early: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/XqxU1Mbf1h\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/XqxU1Mbf1h<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/973TheFanSD\/status\/1841690899870581092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 3, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Rotation Order<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sweeping the Braves allowed Mike Shildt and the Padres to align their rotation perfectly for the NLDS, starting with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/c\/ceasedy01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dylan Cease<\/a> in Game 1. Here\u2019s how the rotation order likely shapes up: 1. Dylan Cease 2. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/d\/darviyu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Yu Darvish<\/a> 3. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/k\/kingmi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael King<\/a> 4. Martin P\u00e9rez 5. Dylan Cease<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If Musgrove can return, he would likely slide into Game 4, but as things stand, it will likely be a bullpen game. The Padres hope P\u00e9rez can give them three or four solid innings if needed. Though he struggled in his final regular-season start and has had some postseason troubles, P\u00e9rez has mostly been a steady back-end option since arriving from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. He has a 3-1 record, a 3.46 ERA, and 44 strikeouts with San Diego.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Michael King Continues To Impress<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the biggest X-factor for the Padres\u2019 rotation in this series is right-hander Michael King. The 29-year-old has developed into a true ace, a transformation that\u2019s been a revelation for San Diego <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/08\/20\/emergent-padres-pitcher-dazzles\/\" target=\"_self\">this season<\/a>. King dominated in Game 1 of the Wild Card series, tossing seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits, and accumulating 12 strikeouts with a sweeper-heavy performance. If he and Cease continue to pitch at this elite level, San Diego will have a serious edge over the Dodgers\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2024\/10\/03\/dodgers-flip-yamamoto-falherty-nlds-rotation\/\" target=\"_self\">injury-riddled staff.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Michael King had everything working tonight \ud83d\ude24<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CY24_7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@CY24_7<\/a> | <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/ForTheFaithful?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#ForTheFaithful<\/a> | <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Padres?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Padres<\/a> <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zML44O9uPY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/zML44O9uPY<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MLBNetwork\/status\/1841321208857448911?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">October 2, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>A Clash Of NL Titans<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite their pitching strength, the Padres know that taming the Dodgers&#8217; offense will be no easy task. Los Angeles has some of the league\u2019s best hitters in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bettsmo01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mookie Betts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/f\/freemfr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Freddie Freeman<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/o\/ohtansh01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Shohei Ohtani<\/a>. But the Padres aren\u2019t short on firepower either, with sluggers like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/machama01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manny Machado<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/merrija01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jackson Merrill<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/t\/tatisfe02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&amp;utm_source=lastwordonsports.com&amp;utm_campaign=2024-10-04_br\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fernando Tatis Jr.<\/a> anchoring the lineup. The key, however, may still come down to the arms. They&#8217;ll have the upper hand if San Diego\u2019s rotation can keep the Dodgers\u2019 stars in check.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Main Photo Credits: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The San Diego Padres are preparing for their third NLDS matchup against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the past five seasons. Both teams boast explosive lineups, but the Padres hold a crucial edge: starting pitching. While the Dodgers\u2019 rotation remains depleted by injuries\u2014missing stars like Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw\u2014the Padres&#8217; rotation looks ready to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5263,"featured_media":87203,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30,1071],"tags":[1524,1860,3255,3111,84],"class_list":["post-87193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-padres","category-mlb","tag-dylan-cease","tag-joe-musgrove","tag-martin-perez","tag-michael-king","tag-yu-darvish"],"modified_by":"Evan Mazza, Site Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87193","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5263"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87193"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87193\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87203"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87193"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}