A day off figures to do wonders for a taxed bullpen.
A fresh arm won’t hurt, either.
The Padres have recalled right-hander Bradgley Rodriguez from Double-A San Antonio for his MLB debut ahead of starting a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. To make room, left-hander Kyle Hart was optioned to Triple-A El Paso.
First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Padres.TV.
The bullpen was a strength through the first month of the season, but that unit has a 6.78 ERA since blowing a game on May 6 in the Bronx, third-worst in the majors. The workload has also been rather heavy since having to piece together a bullpen last Saturday in Atlanta in place of Michael King.
Out of the back of the bullpen in particular, closer Robert Suarez was not available for more than one inning on Wednesday after working four of the previous six games and set-up man Jason Adam has worked five of the last seven games.
The 21-year-old Rodriguez is arguably the Padres’ top pure relief prosect, checking in at No. 14 in MLB.com’s top-30 for the organization. He has struck out 31 batters against five walks in 22⅓ innings (3.22 ERA) at Double-A San Antonio, saving five games in the process.
“I just feel very gracious,” Rodriguez said through interpreter Jorge Merlos. “No one else knows besides myself of all the work that I’ve been able to put into just in my career in general. So I just feel grateful enough that I’m able to be up here.”
Rodriguez signed for $370,000 in January 2021 out of Venezuela, but elbow inflammation largely sidelined him for two years before striking out 75 batters over 61⅓ innings (2.64 ERA) while rising from low Single-A Lake Elsinore all the way to the Double-A Texas League last year.
Rodriguez received a long look in big-league camp in spring training and struck out three over three no-hit innings in Cactus League action before faltering after returning from a sickness and being reassigned to the minor league side of the Peoria Sports Complex.
He sits 96-99 mph with his fastball and pairs it with a plus changeup and a hard slider.
“Thought he threw the ball well,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said of Rodriguez’s spring training action. “He’s got the changeup, really good, righties, lefties, so he’s not overly split. He got the slider. He’s got a good life on his fastball, with a little bit of … late action to it, not necessarily sink, but more, maybe a little more cut. But, yeah, saw that he’s got a lot of stuff. Guys have stuff these days coming in, but also appreciate the fact that he was aggressive.
“This guy’s got some real experience in winter ball and higher-leverage situations in Venezuela and bigger crowds. So he didn’t make anything bigger than it was in spring training.”
Rodriguez was not on the 40-man roster, but the Padres had three open spots.
Replacing Hart (2-2, 6.66 ERA) with Rodriguez effectively gives the Padres nine relievers in the bullpen until they call up an arm, as Shildt said Friday afternoon, to insert into next week’s four-game series in San Francisco.
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— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 30, 2025
As for Friday’s game, Fernando Tatis Jr. is back in right field after a DH day on Wednesday and the team’s day off on Thursday. That places Gavin Sheets back at DH and pushes Tyler Wade out to left field as the Padres look to improve to 10-0 against the Pirates since the start of 2024.
Here is how Pittsburgh (21-36, 5th in NL Central) will line up for series-opener:
Game 1 in San Diego.
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— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 30, 2025
Friday’s pitching matchup
Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (1-6, 3.66 ERA)
He has a 2.88 ERA in four road starts so far this year and has allowed two runs or less in each of his last three starts (1.89 ERA). The Padres beat Keller in early May in Pittsburgh, scoring five runs — four earned — in five innings. Keller struck out three, walked one and hit a batter. He has a 6.10 ERA in six starts (31 IP) in his career against the Padres.
Here is how he’s fared against current Padres:
Padres RHP Nick Pivetta (5-2, 2.72 ERA)
He has 14 strikeouts and two earned runs over his last two starts (12 IP). Pivetta is 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA in five starts so far at Petco Park, while lefties have a .469 OPS so far this season compared to righties’ .683. He has a 1.96 ERA in 23 career innings (5 games, 4 starts) against the Pirates, but he has not faced them since allowing three runs — one earned — in five innings in a loss in 2023.
Here is how Pivetta, who spoke at length with Annie Heilbrunn ahead of tonight’s start, has fared against current Pirates:
