The Padres just lost one of their most versatile bullpen arms for the entire season.
But surprisingly, San Diego may still have enough depth to absorb the blow.

What Bryan Hoeing’s Season-Ending Surgery Means for the Padres Bullpen

The San Diego Padres received difficult news this week as right-handed pitcher Bryan Hoeing will undergo elbow surgery, ending his 2026 season before it even begins.

Manager Craig Stammen confirmed the decision after Hoeing experienced persistent elbow discomfort throughout the early stages of spring training. While surgery had been considered for weeks, the final decision now removes one of San Diego’s most reliable relief options from the bullpen.

For a team already facing uncertainty in its starting rotation, the loss of Hoeing adds another challenge as Opening Day approaches.

A Key Bullpen Weapon Is Gone

Hoeing quietly became one of the Padres’ most effective relievers over the last two seasons.

Across 25 relief appearances with San Diego, he posted an outstanding 1.99 ERA, earning trust from the coaching staff as a flexible arm capable of handling multiple roles.

More importantly, Hoeing could pitch multiple innings, something that can be extremely valuable during the early months of the season when starting pitchers are still building endurance.

“It’s a bummer,” Stammen said.

“He’s someone that could have really been a big part of our bullpen and fill a lot of different roles. We felt like we had an ace in the hole with him in the pen.”

Rotation Uncertainty Makes the Loss Bigger

The Padres’ starting rotation already carries several question marks entering the 2026 season.

Among the biggest concerns:

Joe Musgrove hasn’t pitched since 2024 and recently paused his throwing program.
Michael King is returning from an injury-plagued 2025 season.
Nick Pivetta has been slowed by arm fatigue this spring.

Behind those three, the rotation depth includes Randy Vásquez and a group of possible candidates such as:

Germán Márquez
Walker Buehler
Marco Gonzales
JP Sears
Triston McKenzie

With that much uncertainty, the bullpen may need to cover extra innings early in the season, making Hoeing’s absence even more noticeable.

Padres Bullpen Depth Could Save the Day

Fortunately for San Diego, the organization has built impressive bullpen depth.

Several pitchers have already emerged this spring as potential replacements for Hoeing’s multi-inning role.

Logan Gillaspie

Gillaspie has been one of the standout performers in Padres camp.
He has thrown 7.2 scoreless innings across three appearances, striking out eight batters while allowing no runs.

His ability to pitch multiple innings makes him a natural candidate to bridge the gap between starters and late-inning relievers.

David Morgan & Bradgley Rodriguez

Both right-handers have also impressed during spring training and could step into flexible bullpen roles.

They showed promise in limited appearances last season and appear ready for larger responsibilities.

Kyle Hart

Left-hander Kyle Hart has quietly been one of the most dominant pitchers in camp, throwing 8.2 shutout innings this spring.

Although his roster spot initially depended on Yuki Matsui’s injury status, Hoeing’s absence could now secure him a larger role regardless.

Depth That Could Have Been Traded

Interestingly, the Padres entered spring training with so many bullpen options that trade rumors surfaced earlier in the offseason.

Some analysts believed San Diego might move a reliever to strengthen another area of the roster.

Now, that depth may prove essential instead.

Rather than trading from their surplus, the Padres are likely to lean heavily on their bullpen early in the season while the starting rotation stabilizes.

A Tough Loss, But Not a Fatal One

Season-ending surgery is always difficult for both player and team.

Bryan Hoeing had positioned himself as an important piece of San Diego’s bullpen plans, and his absence will certainly be felt.

However, the Padres’ deep collection of relievers provides a safety net that many teams lack.

If the group continues performing the way it has this spring, San Diego may still have enough pitching depth to navigate the early part of the season successfully.

And while Hoeing begins the long process of recovery, the Padres bullpen will now be tasked with proving that the team’s depth was built for exactly this kind of challenge.