Padres Pitcher Nick Pivetta Lands on IL With Elbow Injury

The right-hander will miss at least two weeks with inflammation in his pitching elbow.

Apr. 15, 2026 at 2:05am

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A fractured, geometric painting depicting a baseball pitcher's motion broken down into sharp, overlapping planes of muted earth tones, conceptually representing the intricate physical challenges of the sport.A cubist interpretation of a pitcher's delivery highlights the complexity and fragility of the sport's physical demands.San Diego Today

The San Diego Padres have placed right-handed pitcher Nick Pivetta on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his pitching elbow. Pivetta was forced to leave his start on April 12 against the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning because of elbow stiffness.

Why it matters

Pivetta's injury is a significant blow to the Padres' already thin starting rotation. The team will need to rely on other pitchers to fill the void while Pivetta recovers.

The details

Pivetta, who signed a $55 million contract with the Padres in 2025, retired the first nine batters he faced against the Rockies. However, his velocity dipped on a pitch in the fourth inning, prompting the team's medical staff to remove him from the game. An MRI revealed inflammation, and Pivetta will now miss at least two weeks on the injured list.

  • Pivetta was forced to leave his start on April 12, 2026.
  • The Padres placed Pivetta on the 15-day injured list on April 14, 2026.

The players

Nick Pivetta

A 33-year-old right-handed pitcher for the San Diego Padres who is currently on the injured list with elbow inflammation.

Craig Stammen

The manager of the San Diego Padres.

Ruben Niebla

The pitching coach for the San Diego Padres.

Mark Rogow

The head athletic trainer for the San Diego Padres.

Alek Jacob

A right-handed reliever who was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to replace Pivetta on the Padres' active roster.

Matt Waldron

A right-handed pitcher who is scheduled to be activated and rejoin the Padres' starting rotation.

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What they’re saying

“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”

— Craig Stammen, Manager

What’s next

The Padres will wait for the results of Pivetta's MRI to determine the exact nature of the injury and how long he may be sidelined. In the meantime, the team has recalled Alek Jacob from the minors and will activate Matt Waldron to help fill the void in the starting rotation.

The takeaway

Pivetta's injury is a significant setback for the Padres, who were already dealing with a thin starting rotation. The team will need to rely on its depth and hope Pivetta can make a quick recovery to rejoin the rotation and help the team contend in the NL West.