Padres place right-hander Nick Pivetta on injured list with elbow inflammation

SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta was placed on the 15-day injured list on Tuesday with inflammation in his pitching elbow.

The move came two days after Pivetta was forced from Sunday’s 7-2 win over Colorado in the fourth inning by stiffness in his pitching elbow.

“We’re trying to be cautious with Nick and I think the smartest move was to not push him and give him some time on the IL and then figure it out from there,” manager Craig Stammen said before the Padres opened a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.

Pivetta retired his first nine batters on Sunday and threw a 92.2 mph four-seam fastball — 1.9 mph below his season average — on his 46th pitch. Edouard Julien took the pitch for a called strike that evened the count at 2-2.

Just before that offering, pitching coach Ruben Niebla picked up the dugout phone to call the bullpen. After the pitch, Stammen and head athletic trainer Mark Rogow went to the mound, and following a brief conversation Pivetta walked to the dugout.

Stammen said Pivetta, who struck out four, didn’t feel 100% and was dealing with elbow stiffness throughout the game.

The 33-year-old Pivetta is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He agreed to a $55 million deal in February 2025 that allows him to opt out after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. San Diego has an option to cut the the deal short after two seasons if Pivetta has a specified injury or surgery related to the injury and is on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period.

Pivetta was on the injured list from April 6 to May 8 , 2024, with a right elbow flexor strain.

The Padres recalled right-hander Alek Jacob from Triple-A El Paso to take Pivetta’s roster spot.

The Padres are expected to activate right-hander Matt Waldron from the injured list to start Friday when Pivetta’s spot comes up next.

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