Lugo (calf) will face live hitters soon and hopes to return to the Padres without needing a minor-league rehab assignment, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Lugo threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Friday and completed running drills Saturday before another scheduled bullpen Monday, so he appears to be well on his way to a return from the calf strain that led to his placement on the 15-day IL in mid-May. Though the right-hander hopes to rejoin the big club without a rehab stint, it's uncertain whether the organization will follow that plan given that Lugo has already spent more than the minimum time on the injured list. Whenever he does return, Lugo should have a spot in the rotation waiting for him, as Ryan Weathers has been mostly unimpressive as his fill-in.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Throws bullpen session
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Lugo (calf) threw a bullpen session Tuesday, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Lugo also tested his left calf strain with a bit of light jogging. He suffered the injury while making a start against the Royals on May 16 and still has some hurdles to clear, but the situation does appear to be progressing in the right direction -- maybe for a return sometime in early-to-mid June.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Placed on injured list
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Lugo was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a left calf strain.
Lugo was forced to leave his last start Tuesday after straining his calf and will now officially miss multiple turns through the rotation. The severity of his injury seems to be relatively minor, so a minimum stay on the IL is likely. Ryan Weathers was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to replace Lugo on the roster.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Leaves start due to calf strain
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Manger Bob Melvin told reporters after Tuesday's loss to the Royals that Lugo strained his calf while covering first to record his final out, and he's unlikely to make his next scheduled start, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Lugo may not have been long for the outing anyway as he allowed five runs over two innings in the loss to Kansas City, and the injury will likely keep him from being able to pitch again this weekend. The Padres could turn to Ryan Weathers if Lugo required a stint on the injured list, but for now, the right-hander should be considered day-to-day.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Short start in Tuesday's loss
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Lugo (3-3) took the loss Tuesday versus the Royals, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks over two innings. He struck out two.
It was Lugo's shortest outing of the season, and the five runs he allowed were a season high. The Royals did all of their damage in the second inning, and while the Padres pulled within a run, the comeback fell short. Lugo's mostly been effective as a starter this season, logging five quality starts in eight outings. He has a 4.10 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 38:11 K:BB through 41.2 innings. The right-hander is tentatively projected for a road start versus the Nationals next week.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Sleeper pitchers for Week 8 (May 15-21)
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Lugo has been pretty steady for the Padres so far, limiting walks and keeping the ball on the ground. His one matchup this week (Royals) is favorable enough, and his relief pitcher eligibility is an added bonus in points leagues.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Pitches well in no-decision
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Lugo allowed two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five over six innings in a no-decision versus the Twins on Wednesday.
Four of the five hits Lugo allowed went for extra bases, but he allowed just one baserunner over his final three frames to limit the damage. The Padres got him off the hook by tying the game in the eighth inning. He's posted quality starts in five of his seven starts this season en route to a 3.18 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 36:9 K:BB through 39.2 innings. Lugo's tentatively projected for a favorable home start versus the Royals early next week.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Grabs third win
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Lugo (3-2) earned the win Wednesday, allowing one run on seven hits and two walks over six innings in a 7-1 win over the Reds. He struck out five.
It was a solid bounce-back outing for Lugo after he dropped his previous two outings. He held the Reds off the board until Spencer Steer's solo home run to lead off the sixth inning. Overall, Lugo has been solid in his first season with the Padres while transitioning out of the bullpen. He lowered his ERA to 3.21 with a 1.34 WHIP and 31:8 K:BB over six starts this season.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Yields four runs in loss
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Lugo (2-2) took the loss against the Cubs on Thursday, allowing four runs on seven hits and no walks over five innings. He struck out two.
Lugo couldn't overcome a poor second inning during which he served up two homers and allowed three total runs. The right-hander otherwise pitched fairly well, though he gave up three singles and a run in the fifth frame. After winning his first two starts of the campaign, Lugo has now lost consecutive outings, surrendering six runs across 11 frames during that span. Thursday was his first appearance of the campaign with fewer than five strikeouts.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Takes first loss of season
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Lugo (2-1) took the loss Friday, allowing two runs on six hits and one walk over six innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out six.
Lugo pitched effectively against Arizona, but the Padres couldn't provide any run support. The right-hander has commanded the strike zone well this season, as he's walked no more than one batter in three of his four starts. The former Met has also kept hitters in the ballpark, with only one home run allowed thus far.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Shaky in start vs. Brewers
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Lugo did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing three runs on eight hits and one walk over 3.2 innings against the Brewers. He struck out five.
Lugo gave up a pair of runs in the first inning, and after he plunked Jesse Winker in the fourth with the bases loaded, the right-hander was relieved by Steven Wilson. It's particularly disappointing considering how well Lugo had pitched in his first two starts as a member of the San Diego rotation, as he had given up just one run in each of those first two efforts. He's scheduled to get a chance to rebound next week in Arizona.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Notches second victory
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Lugo (2-0) earned the win Sunday in Atlanta after he gave up one run on five hits and four walks over six innings. He struck out five.
Lugo labored with his command and threw 65 of 109 pitches for strikes, but he kept Atlanta off the board by scattering five singles. The 33-year-old served as a reliever for the Mets for most of the past five years, but he's off to a strong start in the Padres' rotation this season with a 1.38 ERA and 12:4 K:BB in 13 frames.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Strikes out seven in win
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Lugo (1-0) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on four hits and zero walks over seven innings against the Rockies. He struck out seven.
Lugo allowed a solo home run to Ryan McMahon in the top of the seventh inning, but other than that, he was absolutely dominant across seven strong frames. In his first season with San Diego, the eighth-year veteran is back in a starting role for the first time since 2020. Lugo's pitched over 100 innings just twice in his career (2017 and 2018), but he's never thrown more than 102 innings, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Padres limit him at times to keep him fresh for the second half of the campaign.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Sharp so far in starting role
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Lugo has a 1.46 ERA through 12.1 innings (four starts) this spring in the Cactus League.
Lugo is going to get a chance to operate as a normal-functioning starter this season in San Diego, and he would seem to have the goods to deliver meaningful fantasy production in that role. The 33-year-old right-hander worked exclusively in relief over his final two seasons with the Mets and posted a combined 3.56 ERA with 124 strikeouts across 111.1 innings.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: To be part of six-man rotation
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Lugo is expected to open the season as part of the Padres' six-man rotation, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Lugo signed with the Padres with the intent of joining the rotation and that evidently won't change even after the club added Michael Wacha. The former Met hasn't started a game since 2020 and hasn't been a full-time starter since 2017, so it makes sense to ease him into things as part of a six-man rotation. Nick Martinez -- who made 37 relief appearances and 10 starts last season -- will also open 2023 in the rotation. The Padres could eventually go back to a traditional five-man setup, but initially each starter will get extra rest in between outings.
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Padres' Seth Lugo: Signs with Padres
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Lugo agreed to a one-year, $7.5 million deal with the Padres on Monday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Lugo's deal includes a $7.5 million player option for 2024 and also contains incentives for starting and relieving, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. Heading into spring, the Padres are expected to have Lugo build up as a starter, but it's easy to imagine him shifting to the bullpen at some point like Nick Martinez did in 2022. While working exclusively in relief for the Mets a season ago, Lugo posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 69:18 K:BB in 65 innings.Having not started games since 2020, the righty figures to be on somewhat of an innings limit early in 2023 if he becomes a fixture in the San Diego rotation.
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Mets' Seth Lugo: Scoops up second win of 2022
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Lugo struck out three and allowed one hit over 1.2 scoreless innings to pick up the win Wednesday in the Mets' 3-2 victory over the Yankees.
Lugo has seen his effectiveness diminish since he was a dominant late-inning reliever for the Mets in 2019, but the right-hander looked as sharp Wednesday as he had been at any point this season. After recording five crucial outs to keep the score tied heading into the bottom of the ninth, Lugo was rewarded with the win when Starling Marte walked off the Yankees with an RBI single.
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Mets' Seth Lugo: Notches third save
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Lugo gave up a hit in a scoreless ninth inning Monday to record his third save of the season in a 7-4 win over the Reds.
Edwin Diaz had pitched the day before and on two of the last three days, so manager Buck Showalter elected to give his closer a breather and let Lugo wrap things up instead. The 32-year-old Lugo has been scored upon only twice in his last 14 appearances dating back to May 21, posting a 2.20 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 15:2 K:BB over 16.1 innings during that stretch with a win, a save and five holds.
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Mets' Seth Lugo: Officially reinstated
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Lugo was reinstated from the paternity list Thursday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
Lugo has been away from the team since Monday for the birth of his child and was expected back in time for the team's weekend series against the Marlins. Now that he's officially back, Lugo should return to a setup role, working in front of Edwin Diaz. On the season, Lugo has maintained a 3.81 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 27:7 K:BB across 28.1 innings.
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Mets' Seth Lugo: Due back Friday
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Mets manager Buck Showalter said he expects Lugo (personal) to be activated from the paternity list prior to Friday's game in Miami, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.
After being placed on the list Monday, Lugo will be away from the team for a third straight game Wednesday in Houston while he spends time with his wife and newborn child. Since players on the paternity list can spend a maximum of three days away from their teams, Lugo will likely be formally activated Thursday, which is an off day for the Mets.
