Padres' Bullpen Boosted for Game 4 as Miller Returns, King Available

The San Diego Padres are fighting to extend their season, needing a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday to stay alive in the National League Division Series. After avoiding elimination with a win on Tuesday, the Padres now aim to even the series, and they'll have additional bullpen support.

In a late development before Game 3 on Tuesday, San Diego placed All-Star closer Mason Miller on the paternity list. The team also announced after the game that left-handed setup man Adrian Morejon was unavailable due to a shoulder problem. As a result, starting pitcher Michael King, who had thrown 72 pitches on Sunday, came out of the bullpen in the eighth inning and recorded the final six outs.

A day later, the Padres' bullpen situation has clarified somewhat.

Key Analysis

Mason Miller: Available – Miller has been reinstated from the paternity list and is ready for Game 4. It would be a major surprise if he doesn't pitch on Wednesday night. "Everything went well so far with him and his wife," manager Craig Stammen said. Miller last pitched on Sunday in Game 2, when he blew a save on his 40th pitch of the night in his second inning of work.

Michael King: Available – Remarkably, King is available again for Game 4. After making 32 starts and pitching 185 innings in the regular season, King has already thrown 14 innings in the postseason. He pitched seven shutout innings in the wild-card Game 1 last Tuesday, followed by five innings this past Sunday and two more on Tuesday. Yet he could pitch again on Wednesday. "We're at that point in the season where it's everybody, whatever they can give us, we're going to use," Stammen said. "There is no tomorrow if we don't win tonight."

Adrian Morejon: Uncertain – Morejon is dealing with what Stammen described as "stickiness" in his shoulder. The team won't know his availability until closer to game time. "Waiting for him to come in and see how he's feeling, but he was feeling a little bit better postgame last night," Stammen said. "So hopefully, we're hopeful today that he'll be available." How will the team determine his availability? "Same way we do throughout the regular season," Stammen said. "Bring him in, trainers check him out, go out and play catch, see how he feels, if he wants to throw off the mound or not. Reevaluate what that looks like, how he feels, talk with him one-on-one, talk to the group and then decide what our pitching plan is for the game."

The Rest of the Pitching Staff – Right-handed pitcher Walker Buehler is getting the start on Wednesday night in his 2026 postseason debut. "Expecting playoff Walker Buehler," Stammen said. "He's a very successful pitcher in the playoffs." Behind him, everyone is expected to be available except right-hander Nick Pivetta, who threw 4.1 innings on Tuesday. That means the Padres should have the following players available behind Buehler: Jason Adam (R), Michael King (R), Yuki Matsui (L), Mason Miller (R), David Morgan (R), Joe Musgrove (R), Robbie Ray (L), and Bradgley Rodriguez (R). The only question is whether Morejon will be available; that will likely be answered during the game if he gets up to throw or not.

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Padres on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.