Padres' Jhony Brito: Dismissed from starter competition

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Monday that he envisions using Brito in a long-relief role this season, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.

Shildt's comments effectively remove Brito from the competition for the No. 5 starter role, leaving Kyle Hart, Matt Waldron, Randy Vasquez and Stephen Kolek as the remaining candidates for the final spot in the rotation. Brito previously made 13 big-league starts for the Yankees in 2023, but he worked exclusively in relief over his 26 regular-season appearances for the Padres last season, logging a 4.12 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 29:10 K:BB in 43.2 innings.