Overview
- The Padres activated Pivetta on Monday and scheduled him to start against the Washington Nationals while optioning Jhony Brito and designating Blake Hunt for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot.
- Pivetta missed nearly five months with a right elbow flexor strain after leaving his April 12 start and made three brief rehab outings that totaled eight innings and a 3.38 ERA.
- Manager Craig Stammen said Pivetta will be on a strict pitch count, Randy Vasquez will be available if the outing is short, and the club will remain with a five-man rotation.
- Because Pivetta spent more than 130 consecutive days on the injured list, the Padres retain the option to void the final two years and about $32 million of his contract.
- The move adds experienced depth during a tight wild-card race but leaves questions about long-term durability given the light rehab workload and Joe Musgrove's ongoing recovery setbacks.