Waldron (oblique) likely to miss start of season
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PEORIA, Ariz. -- Padres right-hander Matt Waldron is expected to miss the start of the season after he suffered a left oblique strain while warming up in the bullpen on Friday night.
The team said the strain was "mild," and a day later, Waldron was optimistic that he'd caught the injury before it developed into something more severe. But the right-hander will need to take some time away from throwing, essentially ruling him out of the mix for the Opening Day roster.
"It's very frustrating," Waldron said. "... I don't want to stop throwing entirely. I'm hoping for that. But I'm going to let them tell me what to do and make the decision."
Waldron, who is competing for the team¡¯s No. 5 starter spot, was originally slated to pitch multiple innings against the Rangers in relief of starter Nick Pivetta on Friday. He warmed up in the right-field bullpen at Peoria Stadium.
But Waldron said he'd felt soreness in his side throughout the day, which worsened as he continued to warm. Eventually he was checked on by a team trainer. After a conversation in the 'pen, both parties decided it wasn't worth the risk of a more significant oblique injury. Waldron retreated to the team¡¯s complex instead.
"When I started to warm up, and I felt it act up even more, I'm like: 'If this is getting worse, as bad as I want to pitch and compete for this spot, I just can't,'" Waldron said.
That decision was a prudent one in the eyes of manager Mike Shildt.
"We're hopeful it's a quicker recovery, getting ahead of it a little bit," Shildt said. "But it's going to be some period of time that's going to impact the start of the season."
That narrows the race for the No. 5 spot in the rotation to three contenders -- Kyle Hart, Stephen Kolek and Randy V¨¢squez. Waldron had entered camp as a favorite. He was roughed up in his most recent outing on Sunday against the Giants but had been otherwise solid this spring.
Waldron had been working toward increasing the use of his signature knuckleball this season -- throwing it at a rate far higher than the 38 percent clip he used last season.