The move comes as Blake Snell is sent to the Injured List due to groin tightness.
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Who is MacKenzie Gore?
Drafted third overall in 2017, MacKenzie Gore is a left-handed pitcher who went to college at East Carolina. Although initially thought to have a quick path to the Padres’ MLB roster, a number of twists hindered his journey to the Major Leagues.
Gore, 23, made his way up to the Padres’ Double-A organization the Amarillo Sod Poodles in his first season with the team. There, he threw 21 2/3 innings in five starts, posting a 4.15 ERA and a 2-1 record. With the high Class A Lake Elsinore storm, Gore was dominant, going 7-1 with a 1.02 ERA and a WHIP of just 0.706.
Gore was 2020’s top pitching prospect heading into the season, but after the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the 2020 minor league season, Gore came back in 2021 with significantly worse stuff. He struggled with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas, starting six games and posting an ERA of 5.85 with a WHIP of 1.800. Gore was placed on the Injured List with a blister before being moved to the San Antonio Missions. He was brought to the Padres’ 40-man roster in Nov. 2021 to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
What can we expect from MacKenzie Gore’s stuff?
Gore throws a fastball that hovers in the mid to upper 90s, and peaked at 98 mph in his most recent outing. Gore also boasts a slider, curveball, and changeup. The lattermost pitch has falling-off-the-table action, a valuable pitch for a southpaw.
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On April 9 in a start with the Chihuahuas, Gore went five innings, gave up two hits, and had seven strikeouts.
Though it isn’t a lot to go off of, the start earned Gore a chance to fill in for Snell and try to leave his mark on the Padres rotation. The start was easily Gore’s best as a Chihuahua, and he brings momentum into his first start against Atlanta.
The Padres will host the Braves Friday night at 9:40 p.m. ET, 6:40 p.m. PT. Kyle Wright will be on the mound for Atlanta, after a sterling six-inning outing against the Reds in which he gave up just a walk and two hits.
