Padres' Nick Pivetta leaves in 4th inning because of elbow stiffness

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta was forced from Sunday’s 7-2 win over Colorado in the fourth inning by stiffness in his pitching elbow.

Pivetta retired his first nine batters and threw a 92.2 mph four-seam fastball — 1.9 mph below his season average — on his 46th pitch. Edouard Julien took the pitch for a called strike that evened the count at 2-2.

Just before that offering, pitching coach Ruben Niebla picked up the dugout phone to call the bullpen. After the pitch, manager Craig Stammen and head athletic trainer Mark Rogow went to the mound, and following a brief conversion Pivetta walked to the dugout.

“I just tried to go out there and do the best I could and get as deep in the baseball game as I possibly could,” Pivetta said. “Obviously, I didn’t feel good.”

Kyle Hart relieved and, after a delay of about 4 1/2 minutes, Julien grounded out on his first pitch.

Pivetta, 33, is 1-2 with a 5.54 ERA. Stammen said Pivetta, who struck out four. didn’t feel 100% and was dealing with elbow stiffness throughout the game.

“I think it’s similar to what he was going through in spring training,” Stammen said. “I think we caught it early enough this time. You know hopefully things will be all right, but anytime it’s someone’s elbow, especially a pitcher, it’s reason for caution.”

Pivetta agreed to a $55 million deal in February 2025 that allows him to opt out after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. San Diego has an option to cut the the deal short after two seasons if Pivetta has a specified injury or surgery related to the injury and is on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period.

Pivetta was on the injured list from April 6 to May 8 , 2024, with a right elbow flexor strain.

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