Nick Pivetta’s rehab is officially out of neutral. The right‑hander played catch at Nationals Park yesterday, a modest step that still felt like a small win for a Padres team juggling a crowded injured list and a looming change in control of the franchise. As updates rolled in on Jake Cronenworth, Germán Márquez and Luis Campusano, the parallel storyline of an ownership transfer to investors José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones continued to move through MLB’s approval maze. For Padres fans, the ongoing question is how fast the medical updates and the boardroom votes translate into something that looks like stability on the field.
Pivetta’s comeback timeline
An MRI in mid‑April revealed a right‑elbow flexor strain, and manager Craig Stammen cautioned at the time that Pivetta’s absence could be “weeks and maybe months,” according to MLB.com. The club is focused on rehabbing the injury rather than sending Pivetta to surgery, tracking his throwing workload closely as he rebuilds strength. Both Stammen and Pivetta have voiced guarded optimism that the right‑hander can help again later this season, but the Padres are keeping his program conservative in hopes of avoiding any detours.
Other injury notes from the road
Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union‑Tribune reports that Pivetta played catch at Nationals Park and is expected to spend roughly the next two weeks making low‑intensity throws as he ramps up. At Petco Park, first baseman Jake Cronenworth is running, playing catch and taking light swings as he moves through concussion protocol. Right‑hander Germán Márquez, coming back from right forearm nerve irritation, has already thrown live batting practice and is lined up for a rehab start next week. Catcher Luis Campusano is doing baseball activities at the Padres’ complex in Peoria, though the paper notes there is still no firm timetable for when his rehab assignment might begin.
Ownership transfer still awaits league approval
The Seidler family has reached a definitive agreement to transfer control of the Padres to a group led by José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones, who are expected to hold roughly 40–45 percent of the club, according to RealGM. The deal still needs the blessing of MLB’s other owners, and a vote is expected to be scheduled via teleconference later this month instead of at the league’s quarterly meetings that begin June 10. If approved, the transaction would reshape the franchise’s ownership mix while the baseball operations department keeps grinding through a crowded in‑season calendar.
What to watch next: Pivetta’s upcoming throwing sessions and Márquez’s rehab start are the nearest on‑field checkpoints. Off the field, the ownership transfer’s timing hinges on the owners’ vote and MLB’s formal approval process, per RealGM. For now, the Padres are betting on slow, careful ramp‑ups instead of quick fixes, which leaves the late‑season look of the rotation very much up in the air.
