The San Diego Padres have selected Nick Pivetta as their Opening Day starter against the Detroit Tigers. This marks his first career Opening Day assignment, following a standout 2025 season. Manager Craig Stammen praised Pivetta's consistency.
Nick Pivetta, who signed with the Padres in February 2025, earned the Opening Day nod after a strong 2025 campaign. He made 31 starts, posted a 2.87 ERA, recorded 190 strikeouts, and finished sixth in National League Cy Young Award voting. Pivetta also started Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series against the Cubs and has performed well in spring training despite early arm fatigue concerns that delayed the announcement until Monday—the last MLB team to do so. The Padres hope for similar results in 2026 as he faces Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, a two-time reigning American League Cy Young winner, on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. PT at Petco Park. > “Just grateful for the opportunity,” Pivetta said. “I’m excited -- excited to get out of Arizona and just start the season off in sunny San Diego.” Manager Craig Stammen highlighted Pivetta's reliability: > “He was our best pitcher throughout the whole entire last season,” Stammen said. “He was our No. 1 starter when we took on the Cubs in the Wild Card Series. He has pitched great in Spring Training and deserves to get the Opening Day nod.” Stammen outlined the Opening Weekend rotation against the Tigers: Friday features Framber Valdez versus Michael King at 6:40 p.m. PT, and Saturday pits Jack Flaherty against Randy Vásquez at 5:40 p.m. PT. King started Opening Day last year, but Pivetta was chosen this time. Right-hander Joe Musgrove begins the season on the injured list recovering from October 2024 Tommy John surgery. Roster moves include adding starters Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez (order pending), confirming Ty France and outfielder Bryce Johnson on the bench over José Miranda and Jase Bowen. Bullpen spots remain undecided, with Jason Adam's status unclear after left quad surgery in September.