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Ryan Weathers Makes MLB Debut In Padres' Game 1

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Left-hander Ryan Weathers was something of a surprise inclusion on the Padres’ NLDS roster, as the 20-year-old had yet to pitch in even a Double-A game, let alone a Major League contest.  Still, Weather made his MLB debut in tonight’s Game 1 and impressed, tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings and allowing two walks but no hits.

Earlier today, general manager A.J. Preller told MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell and other reporters that Weathers has “always been a strike thrower, and he’s continued to get better over the last few months….Honestly, it’s just giving another quality arm to [manager Jayce Tingler] and see how he wants to use him.”  The seventh overall pick in the 2018 draft, Weathers has a 3.78 ERA, 4.91 K/BB rate, and 8.5 K/9 over his 114 1/3 pro innings.  Working out at the Padres’ alternate training site, Weathers has seen his fastball velocity jump from 91mph last season to the 96-97mph range this year.  He topped out at 96.4mph tonight, working a steady array of fastballs, sliders, and sinkers to six members of the fearsome Dodgers lineup.

Mike Clevinger Leaves Game 1 In Second Inning

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Padres right-hander Mike Clevinger was removed from tonight’s game after throwing two pitches in the bottom of the second inning.  After tossing 22 pitches in a scoreless first inning that included two walks and a wild pitch, Clevinger threw two balls to Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger before departing after a mound visit from manager Jayce Tingler and a team trainer.

It wasn’t clear until today whether San Diego would even include Clevinger on the NLDS roster, yet Clevinger was indeed on the hill to start Game 1.  The righty hadn’t pitched since September 23 due to an elbow strain that forced him to sit out the Padres’ wild card series victory over the Cardinals.

There hasn’t been any word on Clevinger’s status, though Tingler speculated during an in-game interview (hat tip to MLB.com’s Adam Berry) that “I think what happened was that long half-inning there and it tightened up and never warmed back up on him.”  The Padres sent six batters to the plate in the top of the second and forced Dodgers starter Walker Buehler to throw 33 pitches, which led to a lengthy wait for Clevinger.

While San Diego likely didn’t expect too long an outing for Clevinger given his return from injury, the Friars have now been forced into a makeshift bullpen game to begin their series with Los Angeles.  It will test the depth of a Padres team that is already missing a key arm in Dinelson Lamet and now faces the possibility that Clevinger could be done for at least the rest of this series.  As Berry noted, the Padres can make an injury replacement for Clevinger on the NLDS roster, but that would mean Clevinger is also not allowed to pitch should the Padres reach the NL Championship Series.

Mike Clevinger Makes Padres’ NLDS Roster

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The Padres have set their 28-man roster for this week’s NLDS matchup against their divisional gatekeepers, the Dodgers. Here are the details:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

The biggest questions leading up to this series for the Padres surrounded the health of Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet. We have our answers: Clevinger is on the roster, and he’ll start game one, while Lamet will not appear in the NLDS.

The other changes are Allen and prospect Weathers making the roster over Dan Altavilla, Greg Garcia, and Jorge Mateo. Allen is a San Diego native who provides speed and defensive depth in the outfield. Weathers, meanwhile, has yet to make his major league debut – or even pitch above Single-A. The 20-year-old southpaw was San Diego’s #10th ranked prospect on Baseball America’s midseason report. Campusano (#5), Morejon (#7), and Patiño (#2) also appear on both the Padres’ top prospects list and their NLDS roster.

Latest On Mike Clevinger, Dinelson Lamet

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Oct. 6: There are “strong indications” that Clevinger will get the Game 1 nod, Robert Murray reports. H’s thrown a pair of flat-ground sessions and a bullpen session recently.

Oct. 5, 8:54 pm: The Padres are deciding between Clevinger and Chris Paddack to start tomorrow’s game one against the Dodgers, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune. Both threw bullpen sessions on Sunday, and if they deem Clevinger healthy enough, he’ll get the ball.

Starting Clevinger in game one would be an interesting call, because it could also set him up to start a potential game five on short rest. The Padres might be hesitant to do so given the injury concern. Perhaps more to the point, starting Clevinger tomorrow would mean Paddack would not be able to go in a potential series-deciding game five.

9:33 am: The Padres are “optimistic” right-hander Mike Clevinger will be able to return for their National League Division Series against the Dodgers, hears Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). However, fellow starter Dinelson Lamet “likely won’t be ready for this round,” Nightengale adds. Both pitchers missed the playoffs’ opening set, but San Diego leaned heavily on their bullpen to advance past the Cardinals in three games.

Clevinger has generally seemed the more likely of the duo to work his way back to the mound this week. Sidelined since September 23 due to an elbow strain, the 29-year-old threw a “high-intensity” bullpen session yesterday, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network (via Twitter). The highest-profile of San Diego’s myriad deadline season acquisitions, Clevinger has a 3.02 ERA/4.15 FIP in 41.2 innings between the Indians and Padres this season.

Lamet emerged as an NL Cy Young contender this year, pitching to a 2.09 ERA/2.48 FIP across 69 innings. Unfortunately, he exited his final start of the regular season with biceps tightness. The Padres have until tomorrow to formally set their NLDS roster.

Padres Will Decide On Clevinger, Lamet On Tuesday

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Padres manager Jayce Tingler spoke to the media regarding injured starters Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet, saying that both hurlers are playing catch but not yet throwing bullpen sessions. Their official status remains day-to-day, per The Athletic’s Andy McCullough. With the NLDS consisting of 5 games over 5 consecutive days this season, the Padres don’t have the luxury of using a roster spot on a pitcher who’s not going to be ready to throw. Clevinger and Lamet will likely be healthy enough to start, or they won’t be on the NLDS roster. The Padres will set their NLDS roster on Tuesday, per Dennis Lin of the Athletic (via Twitter).

  • Miami will likewise take as much time as possible before making a decision on Starling Marte. In the meantime, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter), it’s “Rest. Recovery. Treatment.” The Marlins will likely start Magneuris Sierra if Marte isn’t on the roster. Unlike with the Padres’ starters, there is a scenario where Marte is available to pinch-hit, but not to start. Sierra had just 53 plate appearance during the regular season, but he’s a burner who put together some nice at-bats against the Cubs in the wild card round.

Latest On Dinelson Lamet, Mike Clevinger

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OCTOBER 3: There’s seemingly cause for optimism regarding Clevinger. ESPN’s Pedro Gomez hears (Twitter link) that he could be in line to return to the mound for next week’s NLDS against the Dodgers.

OCTOBER 2: Tonight could prove to be the end of the line for the 2020 Padres, who are gearing up to face the Cardinals in a do-or-die Game 3 of their first-round series. The Padres have gone the series without their two best starting pitchers, right-handers Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger, and they’ll turn to reliever Craig Stammen as an opener Friday. If Stammen & Co. manage to lead San Diego past St. Louis, though, the Padres could see Lamet and Clevinger return in the second round.

Both Lamet and Clevinger played catch Friday, per the San Diego Union Tribune’s Kevin Acee, and manager Jayce Tingler said it’s a “possibility” they’d be around for the NLDS. Lamet has been dealing with biceps discomfort, while Clevinger has been out with an elbow strain. Fortunately, Clevinger came out of his throwing session “feeling great,” Robert Murray reports.

Lamet and Clevinger are undoubtedly two of the main reasons the Padres reached the playoffs for the first time since 2006. Lamet turned in a Cy Young-caliber season with a 2.09 ERA/2.48 FIP and 12.13 K/9 against 2.61 BB/9 in 69 innings. Clevinger, whom the Padres acquired from the Indians at the Aug. 31 trade deadline, pitched to a 3.02 ERA/4.15 FIP and notched 8.64 K/9 against 3.02 BB/9 over 41 2/3 frames between the teams. Healthy versions of the two hurlers would have played prominent roles versus the Cardinals, but perhaps they’ll still have a chance to help the Padres this postseason.

Padres v. Cardinals: Who Will Advance?

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There is only one first-round playoff series remaining, and it will be decided tonight when the Padres and Cardinals complete their matchup in Game 3. The Padres entered with the far better record (37-23 against 30-28), but injuries to top starters Dinelson Lamet and Mike Clevinger – who have been unavailable – have impacted the series.

With Lamet and Clevinger on the shelf, San Diego turned to Chris Paddack and Zach Davies in the first two games, but the pair struggled. The team’s now so short on options that it will tap reliever Craig Stammen as the opener in a bullpen game Friday. The Cardinals, meanwhile, will have Jack Flaherty on the hill. Flaherty went through a very disappointing regular season, though he’s only a year removed from serving as one of the league’s most valuable starters.

On the offensive side, the Fernando Tatis Jr.-led Padres finished the season with one of the game’s most potent attacks, ranking third in runs and fifth in wRC+. The Cardinals weren’t nearly as good (28th in runs, 19th in wRC+), but the Paul Goldschmidt-helmed outfit has outscored the Padres 16-15 in the series.

The game’s about to get underway. Which team do you expect to advance? (Poll link for app users)

Mike Clevinger, Dinelson Lamet Not On Padres’ Wild Card Roster

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The Padres have formally announced their Wild Card Series roster, and neither Mike Clevinger nor Dinelson Lamet is included. Both right-handers recently incurred arm injuries, with Clevinger suffering an elbow strain and Lamet experiencing biceps discomfort. There’s still no formal update on their status, but neither has been ruled out from future rounds. For this round at least, here’s how the roster breaks down:

Right-Handed Pitchers

Left-Handed Pitchers

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Both Clevinger and Lamet are among the other 12 players in the Padres’ 40-man postseason player pool, the team announced, so they could still be added in future rounds, should the team advance. Beyond Clevinger and Lamet, the other 10 players in San Diego’s pool are as follows: Michel Baez, Luis Perdomo, Taylor Williams, Jose Castillo, MacKenzie Gore, Ryan Weathers, Francisco Mejia, Webster Rivas, Greg Allen and Jorge Ona.

Mike Clevinger “Unlikely” To Pitch In Wild Card Round

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10:47am: The Padres are still evaluating the decision on Clevinger and Lamet after their latest throwing sessions, per Dennis Lin and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (Twitter link). It doesn’t sound as though the club is formally committing to either pitcher’s availability (or lack thereof) just yet. They still have a bit more than an hour to submit their roster.

10:04am: Padres right-hander Mike Clevinger is unlikely to pitch in the Wild Card round, Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN report (Twitter link). There is “significant” concern after a Tuesday bullpen session, per the report, which casts doubt not only on Clevinger’s availability for the Wild Card round but for the entire postseason.

Acquired in a blockbuster, nine-player trade with the Indians on the morning of the trade deadline, Clevinger made four starts with the Padres and turned in 19 innings of 2.84 ERA ball with a 19-to-3 K/BB ratio. He was diagnosed with an elbow strain last week, however, and while he’s reportedly been cleared of any UCL damage, his status for the postseason has remained up in the air.

Clevinger’s injury is all the more concerning given that breakout righty Dinelson Lamet exited his most recent start after experiencing discomfort in his right biceps. Both pitchers threw earlier in the week, but it seems as though Clevinger hasn’t progressed to a point where he’s ready for game action. Lamet’s status remains unclear as well.

Latest On Dinelson Lamet, Mike Clevinger

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It’s possible Dinelson Lamet or Mike Clevinger could start Game 1 of the Padres’ series against the Cardinals on Wednesday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. It’s fantastic news for the Padres, who saw Lamet go down with right biceps tightness last Friday, while Clevinger suffered a sprained right elbow last Wednesday. At least in Clevinger’s case, it initially didn’t seem he would be ready for the start of the playoffs, but it now looks as if the Padres’ top starters (along with Zach Davies) will be ready when they begin their first postseason series since 2006.

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