The San Diego Padres are set to welcome Lucas Giolito to their rotation this weekend after manager Craig Stammen, who recently explained the Padres’ winning formula officially confirmed the veteran right-hander will make his team debut Sunday against the Seattle Mariners.
According to 97.3 The Fan’s Sammy Levitt, Stammen announced that Giolito is scheduled to take the mound in Seattle, ending weeks of anticipation surrounding the pitcher’s first appearance since signing with San Diego. The decision gives the Padres another experienced arm as they continue navigating a competitive National League playoff race.
Giolito joined the Padres on a one-year major league deal on April 22, and his arrival comes at an important point in the season with San Diego holding a 26-18 record entering the series against Seattle.
Giolito gets fresh opportunity with Padres rotation
Giolito enters his Padres debut looking to reestablish himself as a reliable presence on the mound after injuries and inconsistency impacted portions of his recent seasons.
Lucas Giolito is set to make his Padres debut Sunday against the Mariners. Cole Burston/Getty Images
Despite those challenges, the former All-Star still possesses swing-and-miss stuff when healthy and effective command of the strike zone. San Diego hopes his addition can provide stability and depth to a rotation expected to play a major role in the club’s postseason aspirations.
The Padres have remained firmly in the NL playoff picture, and adding another proven starter could become increasingly important as the season progresses deeper into the summer months.
Padres face challenging road test against Mariners
Sunday’s matchup also presents a difficult assignment for Giolito in his first outing with the organization, as Seattle continues to be one of the stronger home teams in the American League.
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San Diego clearly believes the veteran can become more than short-term rotation depth. If Giolito performs well in his debut, the Padres could gain another valuable piece for a team with postseason expectations in a tightly contested division race.
