Emotional Mike Clevinger savors return to mound for Padres

The difficult moments, inevitable after a significant injury and the long rehabilitation that follows, were previously experienced in private.

But on Wednesday afternoon, Mike Clevinger could not hold back the emotion.

As the Padres right-hander began to talk about the long road back from his second Tommy John surgery, his voice broke and he bowed his head.

After a few seconds, he said. “I wasn’t sure I was going to pitch again, so this is big.”

Facing his former team, Clevinger worked 4 2/3 innings in his season debut, a 5-4 Padres victory.

In his first start since Game 1 of the National League Division Series, following 19 months filled with rest and seemingly endless hours of regaining mobility and stretching and playing catch and alone time, Clevinger worked beyond what was thought to be his maximum number of pitches. His manager essentially tried to will him through five innings so he could be in line to get the win.

“Sentiment played into it,” Bob Melvin said. “I probably gave him one more batter than I should have at the time. … He was so close to getting through the fifth with the lead.”

With the Padres up 3-1, Clevinger walked Guardians leadoff batter Myles Straw before getting the first out in the fifth on a fly ball to left. During that at-bat, he reached 90 pitches, which was his anticipated ceiling going into the game. But Melvin left him in to face Jose Ramirez, who entered the day ranked third in the American League with a 1.128 OPS and tied for fourth with seven home runs.

“The guy he was having to try to get out was a tough customer for anybody,” Melvin said of Ramirez. “I thought his stuff was good. His velo was still playing.”

Clevinger walked Ramirez, at which point Melvin walked to the mound to remove his right-hander.

“I really appreciate Bob let me go try to get it,” Clevinger said. “I was lobbying for it hard, and I’m glad he let me try to try to go after (Ramirez) that one last time.”

Clevinger, whose first Tommy John surgery was in 2012 while he was an Angels minor leaguer, threw 67 pitches in his final rehab start last week.

“I definitely think it’s gonna take some time getting out there, building back up stamina,” he said Wednesday. “… I was a little bit tired, but I felt good. I wanted it.”

Josh Naylor’s single against Steven Wilson scored the two batters Clevinger left behind, tying the game 3-3. Clevinger was charged with the three runs after allowing four hits and walking three. He struck out four.

Clevinger’s surgery in November 2020 came just more than two months after he was acquired in a trade with the Guardians that cost the Padres three major leaguers and three of their top 11 prospects. He made four starts for the Padres in the regular season, leaving the last one after the first inning due to elbow tightness. He did not pitch in the Wild Card Series but took the mound to start the NLDS. He also departed that game after the first inning.

The second time he paused and bowed his head Wednesday was when he talked again about the rehab process.

“Just thinking of all the people that helped me get here,” he said. “It hasn’t been easy. … I’m just happy to be back.”