Padres opt to skip Manaea's next turn

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres -- with the regular season dwindling and the NL Wild Card race getting tighter by the day -- are shuffling their starting rotation.

Left-hander Sean Manaea will have his next turn skipped, manager Bob Melvin said on Monday, as Manaea works through some struggles that have led to a dreadful second half.

• 10 statistical races that could go down to the wire

Manaea has posted an 8.36 ERA in eight second-half starts, including an outing on Saturday in which he allowed eight runs over 4 1/3 innings at Dodger Stadium. Melvin said the plan is for Manaea to throw an extra bullpen session or two before he is reinserted into the rotation for what would have been his next start -- at some point next week on the team's road trip through Seattle and Arizona.

"We're going to skip him a start," Melvin said. "Rejuvenate the arm a little bit, give him a little distance, let him throw a bullpen or two. Then we'll figure out where we go from there. ... I think that's all he's going to need is one, at least that's my feeling sitting here right now."

The Padres have off-days both before and after their forthcoming weekend series against the Dodgers. That will allow them to skip Manaea while keeping the rest of the rotation on turn, Melvin said (meaning right-hander Mike Clevinger is slated to pitch the first game of that series on Friday night).

Visibly frustrated after his most recent outing, Manaea said he would be open to whatever the team needed, including, "If that's not pitching, then sure."

On Monday, Manaea said he understood the decision and hoped the next week could allow him the opportunity to rediscover some of his first-half form. In 17 first-half starts, Manaea had a 4.11 ERA -- not dominant, but often quality. (He recorded quality starts in 13 of those 17 outings.)

"I think I can figure it out," Manaea said. "... I don't think it's any one thing to pinpoint. I've just got to pitch better."

The Padres acquired Manaea just before the season, looking to bolster the depth of their rotation. They learned a hard lesson in 2021, when they simply ran out of viable starting options. For much of the first half this season, Manaea did exactly what the Padres asked of him.

Then, suddenly, he unraveled. Melvin noted that Manaea hadn't been as effective pitching to the top of the zone, and his fastball command had faltered. Manaea, meanwhile, wasn't up for theorizing on the specifics.

"Just be better, pitch better," he said. "It's everything. I've got to pitch better."

As things stand, it’s highly unlikely Manaea would crack the Padres’ playoff rotation, if they were to get that far. Postseason off-days generally allow teams to get by with four starting pitchers. Barring injury, the Padres presumably would trot out Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, Blake Snell and Clevinger in some order.

Still, a rejuvenated Manaea would provide plenty of value down the stretch. The Wild Card race is tight, and the Padres still must work through their rotation another four or five times. At a bare minimum, they’d need at least three outings from a No. 5 starter over the next month.

"This guy's so accountable to his team,” Melvin said. “He wants to be there for them. ... He will do whatever it is that helps the team. He wants to pitch. He's eager to go back out there and get on a winning track again. But he understands the reason."