{"id":172665,"date":"2025-08-24T21:28:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T21:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/172665\/"},"modified":"2025-08-24T21:28:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T21:28:13","slug":"michael-kings-sim-game-will-wagner-arrives-vedder-cup-revival-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/172665\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael King\u2019s sim game, Will Wagner arrives, Vedder Cup revival \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michael King was all smiles as he walked off the Petco Park mound on Sunday morning. He\u2019d thrown 44 pitches over three simulated innings. He struck out six and an infield comprised of bench coach Brian Esposito, coaching assistant Scott Stroud, coach Nick Punto and special assistant Allen Craig deftly recorded an \u201cout\u201d on every play in the infield.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t see any hits,\u201d King said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

More importantly, no hiccups.<\/p>\n

The left knee that sent King back to the injured list after just one start held up just fine and his stuff was more in line with what he expects.<\/p>\n

\u201cVelo\u2019s good, shapes were good,\u201d King said. \u201c \u2026 It\u2019s been an easier rehab than the nerve that I had and obviously way more straightforward. If I can throw that velo and that command, I\u2019ll be good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indeed, King spent much of nearly three months on the injured list waiting for his long thoracic nerve to start firing correctly. When it did, because he was not rehabbing a soft tissue or structural compromise, his thinking was that the ramp-up would be on the quicker side as he was simply rebuilding stamina.<\/p>\n

His left knee thought otherwise.<\/p>\n

King felt discomfort after his first sim game and later after his lone rehab game at Triple-A El Paso. In hindsight, the knee might have had something to do with off-kilter mechanics when he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks in two innings against the Red Sox on Aug. 9 in his initial return from the injured list.<\/p>\n

King landed returned to the injured list within the week, but an MRI did not reveal anything structural going on with his knee. He simply had it drained and was back to throwing bullpens to prepare for this ramp-up.<\/p>\n

King is eligible to return from the injured list as soon as Monday and would seemingly be ready to retake his spot in the rotation on Friday in Minnesota, but he was not ready to discuss the next step immediately after walking off the mound Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have no idea,\u201d he said. \u201cHonestly, it\u2019s up to them. They kept telling me just get through today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Sim game Sunday for Michael King pic.twitter.com\/gWKaawl2G5<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) August 24, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The current makeup of the bullpen \u2014 five high-octane relievers \u2014 would certainly make it easier for King to ease into big-league action even after throwing just 44 pitches on Sunday, although it is King\u2019s expectation for his starts to return to normalcy to make him a \u201cviable option\u201d come October.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, every time (Padres manager Mike Shildt) pulls him I\u2019m mad at him, regardless of what our bullpen looks like,\u201d King said. \u201cSo to me, I always say starting pitching wins championships. Obviously we have an incredible bullpen, but the starters still have to go deep in the game. I\u2019m not going to bank on going four and just turn it over to our dogs. I would love to be that guy that gives them the day off and I can cruise out there and get an easy \u2018W.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s still my ultimately goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Settling in<\/p>\n

Will Wagner<\/strong> was sitting at his locker at Petco Park on Sunday morning. A day earlier, he was in El Paso\u2019s lineup for 11 innings, starting at second base and finishing at third. And on July 31, the 27-year-old infielder was with the Toronto Blue Jays when the Padres acquired him for minor league catcher Brandon Valenzuela.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Truth be told, Wagner was somewhat happy to have a chance to catch his breath in the Pacific Coast League.<\/p>\n

It was the second time in a year that he\u2019d been traded to a new organization. The wrinkle this time is the trade came days after he\u2019d traveled to and from Cooperstown for dad Billy Wagner\u2019s<\/strong> Hall of Fame induction.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, it was kind of crazy,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cI missed a couple of days just being there for my dad and stuff and then I get \u2026and then get traded, so it was definitely a weird transition.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut everything\u2019s gone smoothly so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wagner said he was playing \u201cCall of Duty: War Zone\u201d with his brothers on the off-day when the Blue Jays\u2019 front office notified him of the trade. He headed immediately to Round Rock, was in the El Paso lineup on Aug. 2 and was hitting .270\/.333\/.405 in 17 games with the Chihuahuas while rotating between third, second and first base when he was called up Sunday to replace the injured Jackson Merrill<\/strong> (ankle) in the midst of the Padres\u2019 push for an NL West title.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think everyone\u2019s paying attention,\u201d Wagner said. \u201cYou want the team up top to win and that\u2019s the goal, to be here and keep winning with this team. Been doing great. I just hope I can add to it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Remember the Vedder Cup<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been more than three months, so here\u2019s a remember for what\u2019s at stake this week in Seattle \u2026 in the Vedder Cup.<\/p>\n

The Mariners swept the Petco Park half of the inaugural internet joke-turned-real (contrived) rivalry<\/a>, outscoring the Padres 15-3 in three games in May.<\/p>\n

That means the Padres have to win all three games in Seattle and outscore the Mariners by more than 12 runs. The second tiebreaker is the highest exit velocity on a recorded hit in the series, which so far is 111.7 mph on a home run from Rowdy Tellez.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why exit velocity?<\/p>\n

E.V., for Eddie Vedder<\/strong>, the Pearl Jam frontman who lived in San Diego before moving to Seattle.<\/p>\n

Yes, Vedder is a Cubs fan, but he\u2019s in on the \u201crivalry\u201d joke and expected to be on hand, likely to present a trophy designed around a guitar from the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer.<\/p>\n

Originally Published: August 24, 2025 at 1:32 PM PDT<\/p>\n