Nick Pivetta will be sidelined "weeks and maybe months" after an MRI revealed a flexor strain in his right elbow, San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters Wednesday.
The team already had placed Pivetta on the injured list Tuesday, and while the hope is that he won't need surgery, the veteran right-hander will be sidelined well beyond the mandated 15 days.
"He's definitely going to take some time off throwing, let it rest, let it heal and then get back on a throwing program and a strengthening program," Stammen said, per MLB.com. "It's probably going to be more weeks and maybe months than it is just specific days.
"So he's going to take some time, but we feel pretty confident he's going to get back this year."
Pivetta was forced from Sunday's 7-2 win over Colorado in the fourth inning by stiffness in his pitching elbow. He retired his first nine batters and threw a 92.2 mph four-seam fastball -- 1.9 mph below his season average -- on his 46th pitch, then was removed from the game.
The 33-year-old Pivetta is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA. He agreed to a $55 million deal in February 2025 that allows him to opt out after the 2026 and 2027 seasons. San Diego has an option to cut the the deal short after two seasons if Pivetta has a specified injury or surgery related to the injury and is on the injured list for more than 130 consecutive days in any season or in a one-year period.
"It's really frustrating," Pivetta told reporters Wednesday, per MLB.com. "I was feeling really well, felt like I was pitching better. I love contributing to the team, take great pride in playing baseball for the fans, playing for my teammates."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
