Looking for depth in their starting rotation, the San Diego Padres signed veteran starting pitchers Griffin Canning, German Marquez, Walker Buehler and Marco Gonzales. They’ve all had successful stretches in the big leagues, but they’re all trying bounce back from some kind of substantial injury . Not many franchises would roll the dice on this many players with question marks about their health. Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller explained why they feel comfortable with it. “From Ruben (Niebla) and the mechanical side of things, with the (PLNU Biomechanics) lab, how all that dynamic works. It gives us some faith that, yeah, we can take … I don’t know about risk, but we take some shots with some guys coming back from injury and hopefully have some upside,” he said. The first element there is the most important. Padres pitching coach and associate manager Ruben Niebla has a magic touch that allows the Friars to take fliers on players looking for a bit of a career resuscitation. “I’m not sure it’s magic. It’s calculated equations along with showing feel and understanding ballplayers,” Niebla said. “I think being able to be in baseball for as long as I have, you have more experiences to lean on. You see more guys that you’ve been able to help in the past. So, I just think it’s really paying attention to little things and how we’re moving guys forward systematically and anatomically.” OK, so, there’s science involved, too. Triston McKenzie came up in the Cleveland system with Niebla, pitching like an All-Star before injuries derailed his progress. It’s no surprise why he signed with San Diego this winter. “I think Ruben does a great job,” McKenzie said. “He knows a ton. He’s known me for a long time so, that was part of my decision in terms of trying to come here and really just get back to working with somebody that I know can help me.” This is certainly nothing new. Niebla helped, among others, Michael Wacha and Martin Perez get over injury issues. In 2025, Padres starter Michael King dealt with shoulder and knee problems. He’s back to 100% physically but says Niebla helped him beyond just getting his body right. “I think it’s a couple of things. I think our biomechanics are great. They optimize health and performance instead of just trying to get the most velo or stuff that you possibly can,” King said. “And to me, Ruben was huge with confidence. Coming off an injury, you’re almost thinking every time out there, like, am I still hurt? Can I still do this? And Ruben just brings out the best in terms of your confidence level while you’re out there pitching. So, I think a combination of those two things is lethal for a pitcher.” Padres fans see it all the time, perhaps without even knowing it. Think about when Ruben goes out to the mound to talk to a pitcher that’s struggling. The vast majority of the time, that pitcher turns his outing around immediately. While that’s not exactly a measurable stat, this is: every year since Niebla arrived, the Padres have finished with a pitching staff ranked in the Top-5 of Major League Baseball. Niebla preaches confidence and has turned his pitching congregation into believers. “I think there’s a little bit of just making them aware of when confidence isn’t there and making sure that they have the ability to recognize that and be able to push the reset button and remember who they are,” Niebla said. “You know, we talk about it all the time, the greatest thing about baseball is the competition of the one on one. So, relish that. Enjoy that.” To put a bow on this let’s give the final word to reliever Jeremiah Estrada: “He’s the G.O.A.T. of all pitching coaches. I just see how he interacts with the players, how he gets very involved. Like, he obviously knows who’s a part of the big leagues and he knows who’s not, but he treats everybody the exact same way no matter who it is. If he needs to put someone on check, he’ll put them on check. That’s what I love. That’s what I want, people in my life who are brutally honest and to put me on check because at the end of the day, you get away from your parents but there’s guidance that we need everywhere. He’s perfect for that. He sets the tone for the team and I got love for him. More than anything, he’s a good dude.” ...read more read less