The Padres are expected to activate Lamet (elbow) from the 60-day injured list later this week to start one of the team's four games against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
With Cal Quantrill moving from the bullpen to the rotation Wednesday against the Giants, the Padres appear set to conclude the final week of the first half with a different starting pitcher for all seven of their games. San Diego will presumably pare their rotation down to five or six men after the All-Star break, but Lamet should have a good chance at sticking around as a starter after drawing rave reviews during his six-outing minor-league rehab assignment. While he gave up 16 runs in 24 innings between stops at High-A Lake Elsinore and Triple-A El Paso, Lamet notched 33 strikeouts and consistently flashed a sharp slider and upper-90s fastball that occasionally touched 100 miles per hour. Lamet rejoined the Padres on Monday and completed a bullpen session without incident, setting him up to make his long-awaited return to the big leagues after being sidelined since undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2018. According to Acee, the Padres are expected to limit Lamet to around five innings in most of his starts this season to ease the strain on his surgically repaired right elbow.