Overview

• King returns from separate stints on the injured list for a shoulder nerve issue and later left knee inflammation, having not made a full start since May 18.
• He skipped a minor-league rehab assignment and instead threw a five-inning, 70-pitch simulated game at the Padres’ Peoria complex last week.
• Reports indicate he will likely be held to roughly 75–80 pitches in his first outing back against Cincinnati.
• The Padres expect three to four regular-season starts to build his workload for October, with manager Mike Shildt framing King as an ace-caliber arm when healthy.
• San Diego enters the Reds series one game behind the Dodgers in the NL West after a walk-off win in the opener, while Cincinnati is trying to close a gap in the Wild Card race.