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King allowed one unearned run on one hit and four walks while striking out six over five-plus innings in a no-decision versus the Tigers on Friday.
King pitched fairly well despite throwing a modest 46 of 82 pitches for strikes in his season debut. The 30-year-old had some trouble with free passes, which is a carryover from spring training, when he walked seven batters over 17.2 innings while pitching to a 10.19 ERA. His control was fine last year with a 3.2 BB/9 over 73.1 innings across 15 regular-season starts, but he also had a 9.3 K/9 that was his worst since his 2021 campaign as a swingman with the Yankees. King battled shoulder and knee injuries late in 2025, but he looks healthy to start 2026. He is projected to make his second start of the campaign on the road in Boston.
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Padres' Michael King: Struggling this spring
Rotowire
King allowed six runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five batters over four innings in a Cactus League start against the Athletics on Friday.
King notched a nice strikeout total, but he was also pounded for three homers, which came on back-to-back-to-back A's blasts in the fourth inning. The right-hander began the Cactus League slate with a fine 2.2-inning, one-run outing against the Angels, but since then he's yielded 13 earned runs on 15 hits (including five long balls) over 10 frames spanning three starts. Spring training stats rarely carry much importance, and King is locked into a rotation spot for the Padres, but a bounce-back outing before the end of the exhibition slate could be useful to reset the hurler heading into the regular season.
Padres' Michael King: Impressive in first spring outing
Rotowire
King allowed one run on two hits and no walks while striking out four batters over 2.2 innings in a Cactus League start versus the Angels on Wednesday.
King dealt with multiple injuries last year and made only 15 regular-season starts, but he appears healthy this spring. The right-hander breezed through the first two innings of his Cactus League debut Wednesday, retiring the first six batters he faced before serving up a Christian Moore solo homer in the third. Overall, King was sharp, throwing 26 of his 37 pitches for strikes and inducing seven whiffs. If King can stay healthy, he'll slot in near the top of San Diego's rotation in 2026.
King agreed to a one-year contract with the Padres on Thursday that includes player options for 2027 and 2028, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
King had two excellent seasons with the Padres in 2024 and 2025 and passed on a qualifying offer with the team earlier in the offseason, but he'll ultimately remain with San Diego. According to Feinsand, King will make $17 million in 2025 and will net at least another $5 million in the form of a buyout for the 2027 option. His player options for 2027 and 2028 are worth $28 million and $30 million, respectively. Assuming King can avoid any lingering issues with his shoulder -- which cost him much of the 2025 season -- he should headline the Padres' rotation in 2026.
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