It’s ‘go time’ for Padres’ starting rotation as club makes final postseason push

Nick Pivetta doesn’t exactly keep office hours at his locker when the clubhouse opens its doors to the media each day.

If he’s not already playing ping-pong, the Padres’ right-handed starting pitcher could be trying to get a game going. He could be lifting weights, or taking care of his arm.

On Friday, Pivetta dressed quickly to get out to the bullpen to observe a Yu Darvish side session that had been delayed by a day. The team inserted JP Sears into the rotation to give all the starting pitchers a break ahead of the final two weeks of the regular season. The use of a sixth starting pitcher last week meant that the always-on-the-move Pivetta would have two days off before his next start.

He was of two minds when it came to his team’s decision to tap the brakes a bit.

“It’s good; it’s fine,” Pivetta said. “Obviously, when organizations think about players that way … it’s great and obviously grateful for the break. … But when I’m in my mode — I’m just feeling so good right now — I’m in that headspace where I just want to keep going.”

Pivetta has been carrying the flag for the Padres’ rotation the entire season. The right-hander leads that unit in innings (171⅓), wins (13), ERA (2.73) and WHIP (0.95), has shaved his ERA from 2.88 in the first half to 2.47 since the All-Star break and has opened September with back-to-back quality starts.

But the Padres need more than just Pivetta in their postseason rotation.

Michael King will start Tuesday’s game against the Mets in New York, just his second outing since returning from the injured list last week. Yu Darvish hasn’t quite been right since returning from the elbow trouble that sidelined him in spring training. And Dylan Cease — who hasn’t missed a start since becoming a full-time big-leaguer in 2021 — has yo-yoed between brief flirtations of dominance and extended stretches of so-so to subpar performances.

The underlying potential is why the up-and-down of it all won’t matter when the playoffs begin next month.

“I told this group at the beginning of the season: ‘Your season is going to be based around the body of work you have at the end of the year,’” Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla said.

The Padres’ rotation has a 2.89 ERA over its last 10 games, the sixth-lowest mark in the majors and an about-face after starting pitchers posted a 6.81 ERA during the 2-8 stretch that preceded it.

Pivetta has been the Padres’ best starter, and it’s hard to argue against him taking the ball to start the postseason.

Yet there’s still quite a bit to sort out behind him.

Cease hasn’t missed a start since entering the White Sox rotation for good in 2021. In fact, no one has more starts (160) or strikeouts (1,092) over that stretch than Cease, and only seven pitchers have pitched more innings (873) since the start of 2021.

The 29-year-old right-hander was slowed at the start of this season by a bout of food poisoning. There’s also been a night or two of poor sleep over the last five years, but nothing to force a team to skip him.

Cease said he’s feeling “as good as you can this time of year.”

“Good enough is all that really matters,” he said.

Both King and Darvish appreciated last week’s break. While he’s still trying to feel his way through this season, Darvish has repeatedly acknowledged his arm could be fresher in October than if he had spent all season in the rotation. He has thrown just under 63 innings since returning from the injured list in July.

“It may be a big thing for some of the pitchers that have been grinding throughout the season,” Darvish said through interpreter Shingo Horie. “In my case, I haven’t thrown that (many) innings, but for the other starters, I think it’s a big, big thing for them to get an extra day.”

King missed nearly three months due to a thoracic nerve issue and another month to knee inflammation. He is still in line for three starts before the end of the regular season. Whether he makes the third one could hinge on what’s at stake and where he might line up for the postseason.

One thing is for sure: The Padres’ sense of urgency will ratchet up another level or two starting on Tuesday.

The club has 12 games left in its regular season, and both the National League West and top wild-card spot are within reach.

“It’s been go time for us for a while,” King said. “I’ve just been trying to get back involved in the rotation. The Mets are a big series. They are obviously right below us in the wild-card race. I always say it’s the hottest team that goes into October, so these next two weeks is where you really start to get your footing and roll.”

Added Pivetta: “I’ll get my break in the offseason. … It’s (bleeping) go time. Especially for the city, it’s big.”