San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (shoulder) played catch on Wednesday, a step in the right direction in what will hopefully be the beginning of a ramp-up that will eventually lead to his return to the mound. The 30-year-old has been on the shelf with a nerve issue affecting his throwing shoulder, but tests have determined that his shoulder is structurally sound, so there is hope that he'll be able to return in the second half of the season. The righty had been having a great season for the Padres before the injury, registering a 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a 20.9 percent K-BB% in 10 starts (55 2/3 IP).

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (shoulder) has consulted with various specialists across the country regarding his ailing shoulder and is confident that he'll pitch again this season. The 30-year-old stated that the nerve issue he is dealing with is not the same as the one that Parker Meadows of the Tigers dealt with earlierthis year, which took the Detroit outfielderthree months to recover from, and King believes he's further ahead of where Meadows was in his recovery at this point. The righty hasn't pitched since May 18, but has been doing some light throwing on the side, although not as part of a progression. In any case, manager Mike Shildt has already indicated that King will almost certainly be out until after the All-Star break, but the 6-foot-3 hurler should remain stashed where possible. He was riding a 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and a strong 20.9 K-BB% percent (64:17 K:BB) through 55 2/3 IP before the injury.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (shoulder) will almost definitely be out through at least the All-Star break, reports AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. He's been on the injured list since May 18 with a pinched nerve in his throwing shoulder, with rest being the only thing he can do for it at the moment. The 30-year-old was establishing himself as one of the top pitchers in the game prior to the injury, posting a 2.59 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 64 strikeouts and 17 walks in 55 innings. He's still one of the highest priority injury stashes in redraft leagues.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (shoulder) is unfortunately still unable to throw the baseball right now. Roughly a week ago, King was shut down from throwing while the organization determined the best treatment option for him. It doesn't sound like there has been any positive developments since then. Recently, Padres manager Mike Shildt said there's really nothing they can do until King is able to pick up and throw the baseball again. King has been sidelined since late May due to right shoulder inflammation. His rehab work has stalled, so it doesn't sound like King is going to be back on the mound anytime soon. There is currently no timetable for his return, so fantasy managers will just need to be patient.

San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King (shoulder) is continuing to rest and gather information about his shoulder injury, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports. "We're just in a holding pattern to see what it is and the best way to treat it, if there is a better way to treat it outside of just the rest," manager Mike Shildt said. The Padres have been without King since inflammation forced him to the 15-day injured list on May 25 (retroactive to May 22). The loss of King has been significant for the Padres and fantasy managers alike. He stormed out of the gates this year with a 2.59 ERA and 64 strikeouts against 17 walks in 55 2/3 innings before going on the shelf. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear his return is imminent.

The Athletic's Dennis Lin writes that San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King (shoulder) has begun playing light catch and has reported incremental improvement in his shoulder, but team officials have cautioned that the pinched nerve in question will dictate his timetable for a return. King, who has been SD's No. 1 starter this year, woke up on May 24 with discomfort in his shoulder and is currently on the 15-day injured list. The 30-year-old veteran is optimistic that he'll return in weeks instead of months, but fantasy managers are probably going to need to stay patient and keep him stashed until we have a better idea of when he might be back in the Friars' starting rotation. Before his injury, King was SD's most reliable starter, going 4-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 1.02 WHIP with 64 strikeouts and 17 walks in 55 2/3 innings over 10 starts in his second year with the team.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (shoulder) has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 22. This comes a day after King was scratched from his start against the Atlanta Braves due to a shoulder issue. King is now being placed on the injured list due to right-shoulder inflammation. This is a shame, considering King was pitching well with a 2.59 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 64/17 K/BB across 10 starts this season. The expectation is that he'll only miss a few weeks, so fantasy managers should stash him on the injured list. In a corresponding move, right-hander David Morgan has been recalled from Triple-A. The expectation is that Stephen Kolek will remain in the starting rotation with King going down.

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Michael King (shoulder) has been scratched from his start on Saturday evening against the Atlanta Braves due to right shoulder stiffness. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as the right-hander could be in danger of spending time on the injured list, given the severity of the injury. Instead, Sean Reynolds will get the starting nod this evening. Through his first 55 2/3 innings of work this season, King has posted a strong 2.59 ERA with a stellar 1.02 WHIP. Across this stretch, King has struck out 64 batters and served up just 17 free passes. Fantasy managers should expect Reynolds to serve as an opener in this contest, as he has never logged more than three innings in an appearance this season. He enters this game with a high 6.43 ERA and should not be targeted in any DFS competitions.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King blanked the Rockies on Sunday, pitching nine scoreless innings while striking out eight. It was the first complete game shutout of his career, and it looks like he is settling into 2025 as an ace-caliber pitcher after breaking out last season. Through four starts on the year, he has a 2.42 ERA with 24 strikeouts through 22 innings. He'll be looking to top the 200 strikeout mark for the second year in a row, and is currently lined up to make his next start against the Astros later this week.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King had an excellent rebound start in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Guardians. King pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk with 11 strikeouts. He also hit a batter. The 29-year-old's performance was a relief for both the Padres and fantasy managers, as he lasted just 2 2/3 IP in his first start while allowing three runs and walking four. King emerged as a legitimate higher-end fantasy starter last season and has showcased high strikeout upside throughout his career. He has walked five batters in his first two starts, but that has never been an issue in his game. King will face the Athletics in Sacramento in his next start. He is worth starting in fantasy leagues, even though Sutter Health Park has done a poor job of keeping the ball in the park early on.

San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King will start on Opening Day on Thursday, March 27, against the visiting Atlanta Braves, according to manager Mike Shildt. King will get the nod over right-hander Dylan Cease to kick things off in 2025 after he finished the 2024 campaign in downright nasty form for the Friars. In his first year as a full-time starter in the big leagues in San Diego in 2024 after being involved in the blockbuster trade that sent outfielder Juan Soto to the New York Yankees, the 29-year-old went 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA (3.33 FIP), a 1.19 WHIP, a career-high 201 strikeouts and 63 walks in 173 2/3 innings over 31 regular-season outings (30 starts). King excelled after basically swapping his sweeper for a harder slider and finished as the No. 16 fantasy starting pitcher. It will be interesting to see how his body handles another full workload in 2025, but you should treat him as a strong No. 2 starter.

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Michael King tossed two shutout frames during his spring debut on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies. However, King struggled with his command as he served up two walks over this start. He did tally three strikeouts. Even though King enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2024, King sometimes struggled with his command. Last season, he held a high 8.7 percent walk rate which placed him in the 39th percentile. However, he generated hard-contact at an elite 30.3 percent rate and tallied strikeouts at a 27.7 percent rate which helped offset his high walk rate. Through a career-high 173 2/3 innings, the 29-year-old posted a 2.95 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP. He was dominant in the second half of the season as he held a 2.15 ERA with a 1.12 WHIP in 62 innings. He is expected to open the season as the No. 2 starter in the rotation behind Dylan Cease.

The San Diego Padres avoided salary arbitration with right-hander Michael King on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $4 million deal that includes a $15 million mutual option for the 2026 season. King will also receive a $3 million signing bonus and a $1 million salary for 2025. He's guaranteed $7.75 million, and with incentives, he could make as much as $8 million this year. The 30-year-old became a key piece of San Diego's starting rotation last year after being involved in the Juan Soto trade in December of 2023. In a career-high 30 starts in 2024, King ranked fifth in the National League with a 2.95 ERA. His 201 strikeouts were second on the team, and his 173 2/3 innings ranked 14th in the NL. King's name has been involved in trade talks this winter, but the structure of his new deal makes him much less likely to be traded than fellow starter Dylan Cease.

According to Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated, the New York Mets have shown interest in acquiring San Diego Padres starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King. Ragazzo noted the Atlanta Braves have also had discussions with San Diego. Both pitchers would likely be one-year rentals but would still carry a hefty price tag on the trade market. Earlier this offseason, the Mets re-signed Sean Manaea and brought in Frankie Montas and Clarke Schmidt to take back-end roles in the rotation. However, with the team eyeing to compete in 2025, they would like to further bolster their rotation. Last season, Cease posted a 3.47 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP with 224 punchouts across 189 1/3 innings. King transitioned into a starter role last summer and performed well with a 2.95 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 201 punchouts across 173 2/3 frames of work.

According to Matthew Trueblood of NorthSideBaseball.com, the Chicago Cubs have inquired about a potential trade to acquire San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Michael King. Throughout the season, the Padres have looked to shed payroll as Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez have been discussed in trade talks but have yet to be dealt. However, according to sources, the Cubs have shown interest in trading for King, and both sides have begun discussions. King is eligible to reach free agency at the end of the 2025 season, which could lower his cost in a trade package as he may only be viewed as a rental. According to Trueblood, sources have indicated that the Cubs may send multiple young, controllable pieces, such as outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara and right-handed pitchers Ben Brown and Javier Assad. The Cubs have also shown interest in Padres closer ... [More]

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal writes that one of the reasons the free-agent market remains clogged in late January is that names like San Diego Padres right-handers Dylan Cease and Michael King are among the starting pitchers available on the trade market. An arbitration hearing for King remains likely after he asked for $8.8 million, with the Padres offering $7.325 million. The best free-agent starters on the market this offseason have already found homes in Max Fried, Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, but Jack Flaherty and Nick Pivetta are still available. In addition to Cease and King, Seattle Mariners right-hander ... [More]

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the San Diego Padres and right-handed pitcher Michael King did not come to an agreement prior to the deadline. As a result, they will now exchange arbitration figures. King performed very well in his first season as a full-time starter. Despite his slow start in April, the right-hander posted a 2.95 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP across a career-high 173 2/3 innings. He struck out batters at a strong 27.7% rate and generated hard contact at an elite 30.3% clip. He also generated an above-average 3.59 xERA and a .226 xBA. Fantasy managers should expect King to continue to have a role in the starting rotation in 2025. Given his impressive second half, where he posted a strong 2.15 ERA and a 1.12 WHIP, fantasy managers should view King as a high-upside SP2 in all formats.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King will likely start Game 3 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Padres manager Mike Schildt said that after Dylan Cease starts Game 1, Yu Darvish will likely go in Game 2, and King will go "soon thereafter," insinuating a Game 3 start for the righty. King was dominant in his first postseason start, striking out 12 batters in seven innings of shutout ball against the Atlanta Braves. King has been a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde type pitcher against the Dodgers this season. He's faced them four times, and in two of those he's been dominant (12 innings of shutout ball), and in the other two he's been crushed (10 runs, seven earned in just over eight innings pitched). The good news for Padres fans is the two blowups happened early in the season, with one being a long-relief appearance in South Korea. King may be a risky DFS play in his start, as current Dodgers have hit him for a .326 wOBA and a .366 xwOBA. Those willing to take a risk on him in DFS should know there's likely a bit of volatility in this matchup.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King was locked in for Tuesday's wild-card Game 1 4-0 win over the Braves. King pitched seven innings, allowing five hits and no walks with 12 strikeouts. The 29-year-old's performance made him just the third pitcher ever to record at least 10 strikeouts with no walks in his first postseason start. King had a great first season with the Padres, going 13-9 with a 2.95 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 27.7% strikeout rate. He should be a fantasy target in 2025, and his stock could jump even higher if he gets more post-season opportunities to impress.

San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King will get the nod for Game 1 of the wild-card series against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday at Petco Park. Right-hander Yu Darvish will head to the bullpen for the three-game series. In his first season in San Diego after coming over from the New York Yankees via the Juan Soto blockbuster trade, King went 13-9 with a sharp 2.95 ERA (3.33 FIP), a 1.19 WHIP, a career-high 201 strikeouts and 63 walks in 173 2/3 innings over 31 outings (30 starts). The 29-year-old is hot coming into the playoffs, too, and didn't allow more than three earned runs in any of his 11 starts in the second half of the season. In four starts in September, he gave up seven runs (four earned) while walking six and fanning 24 in 23 innings. Tuesday's big start will be King's first against the Braves this year, a club that has had trouble scoring runs at times without Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) and Austin Riley (hand).