Padres Shut Down RHP Bryan Hoeing With Elbow Discomfort

The San Diego Padres have shut down 29-year-old right-hander Bryan Hoeing after he felt discomfort in his throwing elbow during a spring-camp throwing session, team coaches said; sources differ on whether the issue surfaced during a live batting practice or a live bullpen session. Pitching coach Ruben Niebla said the club will evaluate the elbow and proceed cautiously: “We don’t think it’s as serious (as it could be), but we have to be conscious and take a look at it and be able to make the right assessments.”

Niebla expanded on the plan for Hoeing’s care, saying, “Currently Bryan is going to continue to get evaluated with his elbow, and then we will progress him as we feel that he's ready to go and keep moving forward.” The Padres have not announced a diagnosis, imaging results, or an official timeline for a return, and Niebla did not provide a specific rehabilitation timetable.

Hoeing’s shutdown compounds a limited 2025 workload that was already affected by shoulder trouble. He pitched just eight innings in 2025 after opening the year on the injured list with a right shoulder injury, and he made seven big league appearances that season while allowing three earned runs across eight innings for a 3.38 ERA before being optioned in July. MLB Trade Rumors noted the broader sample since the start of 2024, when Hoeing posted a 2.34 ERA in 61 2/3 innings, including a 1.99 ERA in 25 appearances as a Padre.

The right-hander’s breakout in 2024 is part of why this shutdown draws attention. Sports Illustrated highlighted Hoeing’s second-half 2024 work with San Diego: 18 appearances and a 1.52 ERA across 23.2 innings after being acquired at the trade deadline alongside Tanner Scott; he did, however, allow three earned runs in 2.2 postseason innings for a 10.13 ERA. Advanced metrics compiled in reporting show Hoeing is not a high-strikeout reliever — a 19.5% strikeout rate — but he generates a 50.3% ground-ball rate and carries a SIERA of 3.77.

The timing raises roster questions with Opening Day less than four weeks away. RotoWire flagged the proximity of the regular-season opener and noted that Hoeing had not yet appeared in a spring game prior to the shutdown; that report also paired Hoeing’s status with a separate groin concern for Yuki Matsui as early tests of San Diego’s bullpen depth. FantasyPros summed the immediate impact succinctly for fantasy managers: “Hoeing's status is all of a sudden up in the air for the start of the season. He is set to work in the middle innings of the Padres bullpen when he is healthy.”

The Padres are treating the issue with caution given the stakes of an elbow injury for a reliever with recent shoulder history. No roster move or injured-list placement has been announced, and more details on imaging or a definitive timeline are expected as the club completes evaluations and determines how to progress Hoeing back into throwing and game action.