The San Diego Padres stuffed a winter’s worth of player moves into the first week of Spring Training. It began with the Miguel Andujar signing and concluded with the Ty France minor league deal. The front office is looking for an offensive upgrade.
However, none of the player moves that occurred could match the importance of re-signing Michael King to a three-year, $75 million deal. The announcement of his return to the Padres was the Friday before Christmas Day. It lifted the spirits of the Friar
Faithful, as King has become the emerging face of the pitching staff.
Injuries derailed King’s 2025 season
It was interesting to hear him remark that a change of address would have left unfinished business with the organization. The anticipation of his 2026 Cactus League debut is unmatched by those who trek to Peoria, Ariz.
Padres manager Craig Stammen has indicated that he will use a “slow-play” approach toward King’s workload during the early stage of spring games. Keep in mind, he arrived at Peoria with no restrictions, as the Friars training staff has deemed King fully healthy from last year’s injuries.
He dealt with right shoulder nerve impingement and left knee inflammation that limited him to 15 starts and 73.1 innings pitched last season. Shoulder injuries tend to sap a pitcher’s arm strength, which could keep them out of action for an extended time. Many trainers believe King’s knee inflammation can be attributed to his anxiousness to get back on the mound sooner than expected.
Right now, there is no rush to get him into games. Instead, the plan is for King to participate in scheduled throwing sessions at the Peoria Sports Complex. All will be good if he is ahead of the curve and pitches like his vintage self.
Keeping King healthy removes the need to use the Padres’ starting pitching depth earlier than necessary.
Petco Park is his kingdom.
King arrived in San Diego as part of the package acquired from the New York Yankees in the Juan Soto blockbuster trade. He has evolved into a premier starting pitcher, with an 18-12 record and 3.10 ERA in two seasons with the Padres.
The Friar Faithful took immediate notice of King attacking the strike zone with confidence by using his entire pitching arsenal to get batters out. His velocity would never catch anyone by surprise but King’s ability to work the corners and gain strikes that limit the opposition’s scoring threats has garnered some attention.
The Padres are playing it smart by taking every precaution to put less stress on his body. But his true test is coming, as the Friar Faithful need a sign that King is healthy once again.
He will have a few starts near the end of the Cactus League schedule. The goal is to have him at peak velocity before Opening Day.
If accomplished, King’s struggles from a year ago will be a distant memory.
