Padres turn to red-hot King to start Game 1 vs. Braves

SAN DIEGO -- As it turned out, the Padres traded Juan Soto for their Game 1 starter.

Michael King, the key piece in that December blockbuster, will start Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday, Padres manager Mike Shildt announced during Monday's workout day at Petco Park. In his first full season as a starter, King has emerged as a front-of-the-rotation weapon, after a season in which he made 30 starts and posted a 2.95 ERA.

Shildt laid out the entirety of his team's rotation plans for the best-of-three Wild Card Series against Atlanta. Joe Musgrove will follow King in Game 2. If a Game 3 is necessary, Dylan Cease will get the ball.

"With this staff and how we've performed the whole year, it definitely feels like an honor," said King. "But I also know that we have a bunch of guys that are going to dominate right behind me."

Still, the fact that it’s King getting the ball for Game 1 is a testament to the way he has thrived as a starting pitcher. The Padres obviously loved King’s upside (or they wouldn’t have insisted on him being the centerpiece in the five-player package they received for Soto).

But King only started 19 games in five seasons for the Yankees. It wasn't clear how his stuff might play. It wasn't clear how he would handle the workload. King has since answered those questions in resounding fashion.

Instead of fading down the stretch, King has gotten stronger. He notched a 2.15 ERA in the second half and finished his season with excellent outings in key games against the playoff-bound Astros and Dodgers.

“He’s gone wire-to-wire, and now here we are, Game 1 of the postseason,” Shildt said. “... He’s pitched extremely well. He’s able to navigate both sides of the plate with his arsenal. I mean, Michael’s really nasty, and he’s competed very well. We’re excited to have him going Game 1.”

Shildt informed King of the plan on Saturday. At the time, the Padres still had three potential Wild Card Series opponents -- the Braves, Mets and D-backs. To get ahead, King said he immediately did prep work for the top four hitters on each team. (He’d already scouted the D-backs, because he was initially lined up to pitch Sunday’s regular-season finale in Arizona if the Padres were playing for a division title.)

It wasn’t until a few minutes before Monday’s workout that King learned he’d be facing the Braves, who won Game 2 of a doubleheader to clinch. They briefly celebrated in Atlanta, before boarding a cross-country flight to face King a day later.

“I know the Braves just went through a crazy day,” King said. “We’re hoping to give them a little bit more craziness.”

Tuesday will mark King’s second career postseason appearance. The first? Also at Petco Park, also pitching to catcher Kyle Higashioka (another player the Padres landed in the Soto deal).

King pitched two relief innings in the 2020 ALDS, with Petco Park serving as a “bubble” during the COVID pandemic.

“I can’t wait to see this place in the playoffs,” King said. “Obviously I did see it in the playoffs. But nobody was in the crowd. … The fans here are absolutely nuts, and I am very excited to see what we can bring.”

Darvish to the ‘pen

With King-Musgrove-Cease lined up for the Wild Card Series, Yu Darvish is the odd man out (which had been expected, considering how well that trio pitched down the stretch). On Monday, Shildt confirmed that Darvish would be on the roster, in the bullpen.

“It speaks very well for our rotation and the talent that we have in it,” Shildt said. “Darvish being in our bullpen and being available as we move on, to start -- it speaks volumes.”

In his big league career, Darvish has never pitched a game in relief, though he did so twice for Team Japan at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Ideally, the Padres wouldn’t need to use Darvish, and he’d be fresh for a potential NL Division Series start against the Dodgers. Shildt noted that the team already features a deep bullpen with assigned roles, though Darvish could be used if length were needed.

Workout day

The Padres went through a light workout at Petco Park on Monday, doing team fielding drills and taking batting practice.

They will set their Wild Card Series roster on Tuesday morning, with the final decision likely coming down to two lefty relievers: Martín Pérez vs. Yuki Matsui. The Padres could also choose to keep both and carry a full contingent of 13 pitchers, in which case Nick Ahmed is the likeliest odd player out.

Shildt said he wouldn’t divulge any details about his roster, other than the rotation (and Darvish’s role in the ‘pen).