The Padres have sent starting pitcher Matt Waldron to Triple-A El Paso, according to an announcement from the team. In his place, San Diego has recalled reliever Logan Gillaspie to bolster the bullpen ahead of Thursday night’s series opener against the Mets.
Waldron, the only knuckleballer in MLB, has been a consistent member of the rotation throughout the season. With 26 starts to his name, he trails only Dylan Cease in innings pitched, having logged 142 2/3 innings. Despite a 4.79 ERA, Waldron’s underlying statistics are more promising. He boasts a 21.6% strikeout rate and a low walk rate of 6.6%, with opponents struggling to make solid contact against him. However, an unusually low 67.1% left-on-base rate has contributed to his high earned run average. Metrics like FIP and SIERA suggest his performance should ideally reflect an ERA in the low 4.00s.
Recent performance, however, has been a concern. Waldron, who had a 3.71 ERA heading into the All-Star break, has been struggling in the second half, allowing an alarming eight earned runs per nine innings over 36 innings. He has given up five or more runs in four of his last five starts, including a rough outing where the Twins scored 10 runs on 12 hits in just 4 1/3 innings.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the move is intended to give Waldron some rest before the season’s final stretch. Although his recent struggles might be linked to fatigue, he’s not significantly beyond last year’s innings total, where he pitched 133 2/3 innings across the majors and Triple-A. With the Padres looking to give him a break from big league hitters, Waldron will be sidelined for at least 15 days, as players on optional assignments cannot be recalled sooner unless replacing an injured teammate.
The Padres have an off day until September 3 and have built in several rest days throughout September. For the time being, their rotation consists of Cease, Michael King, Joe Musgrove, and Martín Pérez. There is still uncertainty about Yu Darvish’s return from a family matter. Randy Vásquez, who has struggled in both the majors and Triple-A, is the top depth option on the 40-man roster.
From a service-time perspective, Waldron’s demotion will have minimal impact. Having started the year with 54 days of MLB service, he has surpassed the required 118 days on the active roster to achieve one year of service by 2024.