San Diego Padres’ hopes for having right-hander Mike Clevinger on their disposal during the playoffs are getting slimmer by day. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Clevinger won’t play in the NL wild-card series against St. Louis Cardinals and might also miss the rest of Padres’ postseason run.
Clevinger hasn’t pitched since September 23, when he left the game against LA Angels after just 12 pitches due to elbow and arm issues. The 29-year-old player made his way back to the bullpen since, but it appears that he still isn’t fit enough to pitch in the postseason.
Padres brought in Mike Clevinger from Cleveland Indians just before the trade deadline, hoping he can fuel the team to a deep playoff run. Clevinger had several promising games during the regular season since arriving in San Diego, posting a 2-1 record with 2.84 ERA and 19 strikeouts in four starts. However, it appears his contributions will end here, at least when it comes to 2020.
Besides Clevinger, Padres might also be without No.2 pitcher Dinelson Lamet for the Cardinals’ series. Lamet has been dealing with biceps tightness since Friday and is listed questionable for the next couple of games.
In Clevinger’s absence, Padres turned to Chris Paddack as a starter in Game 1 against the Cardinals. If Lamet is not available for Game 2, Zach Davies is expected to fill in for him.
