Matt Waldron took a significant step toward a return on Sunday.
Good thing, too, because the Padres might need him before long.
The rehabbing knuckleballer threw 61 pitches (37 strikes) over 4⅓ innings in his third rehab start in Double-A San Antonio’s 3-2 win over visiting Wichita on Sunday.
Waldron struck out four and allowed two runs on five hits and a walk in the start.
The 28-year-old right-hander is returning from an oblique strain that removed him from the starting competition in spring training.
Waldron threw 1⅔ innings of one-run ball in rookie ball on May 15, two innings of one-run ball and two innings of two-run ball on May 20 to start his stay with San Antonio.
The Padres on Sunday placed right-hander Michael King (shoulder) on the 10-day injured list. Right-hander Yu Darvish (elbow) also remains without a timetable as he has not bounced back as he’d like to from his rehab appearances.
Both of those setbacks arrive at a time when the Padres had been considering a six-man rotation to get through a series of long stretches of games.
After playing nine in a row through Wednesday, the Padres will have two 13-straight stretches before the end of June.
Right-hander Victor Lizarraga (1-6, 8.53 ERA) walked three but struck out two over three shutout innings in relief for the win.
Right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez (3.38 ERA) struck out a batter in a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.
First baseman Romeo Sanabria (.881 OPS), designated hitter Marcos Castañon (.815 OPS), catcher Cody Roberts (.760 OPS) and second baseman Anthony Vilar (.654 OPS) all had two hits. Sanabria and Castañon hit doubles.
San Antonio is 24-21.
Sunday’s scoreboard
TRIPLE-A EL PASO (25-26)
Tacoma 6, Chihuahuas 0: 1B Trenton Brooks (.883 OPS) went broke up a no-hitter with a single with one out in the eighth inning. El Paso’s only other baserunner was a walk from RF Bryce Johnson (.865 OPS). RHP Jared Kollar (2-5, 8.19 ERA) allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings in the start.
HIGH SINGLE-A FORT WAYNE (23-22)
TinCaps 4, Cedar Rapids 1: RHP Eric Yost (2-4, 1.76 ERA) struck out eight and allowed a run on one hit and two walks over 6⅓ innings in the win. LF Jack Costello (.598 OPS) went 2-for-3 with a run scored. 3B Jose Sanabria (.496 OPS) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. CF Braedon Karpathios (.794 OPS) went 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and two walks.
LOW SINGLE-A LAKE ELSINORE (19-26)
Storm 2, Visalia 2: LHP Luis Gutierrez (2-3, 3.41 ERA) struck out seven and allowed a run on two hits and two walks in six innings in the win. 3B Zach Evans (.817 OPS) went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. RF Ryan Wilson (.667 OPS) went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. 1B Victor Figueroa (1.087 OPS) went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
