The hope is for Michael King to eventually return for the San Diego Padres. The Padres, who look to be a playoff team, need their ace back.
King is one of the better starters in Major League Baseball and is set to hit the free agency market at the end of the season. There's a chance that he could return to San Diego, but regardless of what the team decides to do during the winter, they need him now.
However, according to a recent report from the San Diego Tribune, sources have stated that there’s no guarantee that King will return to the team during the season.
“King considers any notion he might not pitch again this season to be laughable. But multiple sources have acknowledged there is no guarantee that he will. A nerve issue requires waiting on the nerve to begin ‘firing’ again,” they wrote.
Kevin Acee later added that it's a significant step that he and San Diego were comfortable enough to have him throw 105 feet on Tuesday, despite what the sources said.
“However, it is a significant step that he and the Padres were comfortable with him progressing after he played catch out to 105 feet on Tuesday,” he wrote.
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Nerve injuries are very tricky and something the Padres can't afford to mess around with.
However, if King can return at some point throughout the year, it’d be promising. For the right-hander, there isn't much of a reason for him to get cute here.
Given he’s set to hit free agency, the last thing King wants to deal with is a long-term injury.