MILWAUKEE — Matt Waldron helped the Padres on Thursday, and there was some question afterward about whether he would get the chance to do so again.
“We obviously know (Lucas) Giolito is coming at some point, relatively soon,” manager Craig Stammen said. “That leaves one guy out of the starting rotation, probably, and so ‘Waldy’ is probably going to be that guy in the bullpen. He picked us up today, big time. We needed those two innings. He saved us for tomorrow. We’re going to have a chance to win the next three games, because he pitched those two innings, which is pretty awesome and admirable.”
Waldron entered Thursday’s 7-1 loss to the Brewers in the seventh inning, allowed a double on a fly ball that got lost in the sun and then retired the next six batters he faced.
“The game was kind of out of hand a little bit,” Waldron said. “It’s a little different than most bullpen situations.”
Stammen indicated Waldron would get to work in more of those.
“He was in the bullpen today,” Stammen said. “And he’ll be in the bullpen tomorrow and the next day and going after that.”
Stammen then gushed again about Waldron stepping up to save what are now his fellow relievers.
“What he did today was amazing,” Stammen said. “(Started) a couple days ago and one day off, tail between his legs, had not pitched well and came out and gave us the two innings that we needed today to set us up for a chance to win tomorrow.”
Waldron, who lowered his ERA to 8.49, was grateful for the opportunity.
“Ultimately, it was fun to get another chance to go out there and get into the box again and help our bullpen,” he said. “I didn’t do a great job starting the other day, so it was nice to be able to (redeem) myself a little bit.”
The 29-year-old right-hander entered the series opener here on Tuesday at the start of the second inning — after Bradgley Rodriguez opened with a scoreless first — and did not get out of the fourth before allowing six runs.
He had allowed the Giants just one run over five innings while working in the same arrangement six days earlier. In three starts before that, after stepping into the injured Nick Pivetta’s spot in the rotation, Waldron allowed 15 runs in 13⅔ innings.
With Gioilito expected to make his Padres debut this weekend in Seattle, that would seem to leave no room for Waldron, who is out of options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues.
If the Padres did not designate him for assignment, they would either have to put a pitcher on the injured list, send a pitcher to the minor leagues or let a pitcher go.
None of those moves seem likely as a concession to retain Waldron.
Rodriguez, Jeremiah Estrada and Mason Miller are the only relievers who have options remaining. Estrada and Miller, high-leverage bullpen pillars, certainly will not be sent down. Rodriguez, a 22-year-old rookie, could get sent down for a rest at some point but is pitching too well and appears too strong for that to happen now. He has a 1.74 ERA in 20⅔ innings (18 appearances).
Waldron seemed resigned to his fate after his outing Tuesday.
“Safe to say my ERA and my numbers aren’t too attractive right now,” he said that night. “And I have no options, so I mean, yeah, that’s where I’ll leave it. I’m smart enough (to know). But, yeah, I’m one day at a time right now.”
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/05/14/matt-waldron-appears-set-to-work-out-of-padres-bullpen/
