Padres Taking Advantage of Schedule to Give Michael Wacha a Break on IL

The Padres' ace is expected to return after the All-Star break.

Michael Wacha was placed on the injured list Tuesday as he is recovering from shoulder inflammation.

Wacha, who has been a reliable starter for the Padres and holds their best ERA at 2.84, made his last start Jul. 1 in a 12-5 win over Cincinnati. This came after being skipped in the rotation in late June.

"We had to skip him and, he pitched again the next time out, [velocity] might have been a bit down," said Padres manager Bob Melvin. "But I think the timing of it with the All-Star break proved the thing to do."

(Via 97.3 The Fan)

Even battling an injured shoulder, Wacha threw for 5 innings, giving up 5 hits and 1 run, tacking on 4 strikeouts. The 32-year-old has been a proven winner this season, with an 8-2 record across 15 starts.

Padres manager Bob Melvin discusses the teams decision to DFA Nelson Cruz, put Michael Wacha on the injured list, and more: pic.twitter.com/tWOuXBcoB8

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The All-Star break could be coming at a good time for the Padres, as much of their remaining roster is playing some of their best stretches of baseball in 2023. While the Friars had a dreadful end of June, losing six straight games at one point, they have had a strong start to July.

With starting pitcher Yu Darvish expected to return after recovering from a non-COVID illness before the break, the Padres could be fielding a mostly-healthy squad out of the All-Star break.

Melvin said he expected Wacha to return to the mound after the break.

"We'll see where we line it up, first we have to get to the break and how he's feeling, but that's probably what we're looking at," Melvin said.

(Via 97.3 The Fan)

The Padres take on the Angels Wednesday evening in the final game of a three-game series which, with their win Tuesday night, they have already won. Their series win marked their first since mid-June.