Rich Hill
SP FA
Thu 10/5/23 2:02 PM

Hill plans to continue his playing career in 2024, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Hill made the revelation on Bradford's "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast. The 43-year-old left-hander didn't have a great 2023 campaign, posting a 5.41 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 129:58 K:BB over 146.1 innings for the Pirates and Padres. Hill will turn 44 shortly after Opening Day next year but should be able to find a club willing to give him a one-year contract.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Sun 10/1/23 9:41 PM

Hill (8-14) picked up the win in Sunday's 2-1 extra-inning game against the White Sox. He allowed one run on two hits while striking out three over two innings.
EDGE Analysis
This was Hill's second appearance out of the bullpen since going unclaimed on waivers September 14, and his first win since he was starting for the Pirates in June. The southpaw wrapped his season with a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP across 146.1 innings with 129 strikeouts. The 43-year-old Hill enters free agency with uncertainty regarding his future role; however, his 3.38 ERA in a limited sample of 10 innings as a reliever may be enticing enough to teams looking to bolster their bullpen with a multi-inning arm.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Tue 9/12/23 3:55 PM

Hill was placed on waivers by the Padres on Tuesday, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
San Diego will hope to get a bit of salary relief on the veteran left-hander, but he could very well pass through waivers unclaimed. Hill, 43, has struggled to a 9.27 ERA in 22.1 innings (five starts, two relief appearances) since being acquired from the Pirates at the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Mon 9/11/23 12:30 PM

Hill worked in relief Sunday in the Padres' 12-2 loss to the Astros, striking out three while giving up one hit and two walks over three innings.
EDGE Analysis
After failing to escape the second inning while serving up six earned runs in his most recent start Sept. 4 versus the Phillies, Hill was bypassed for the start Sunday in favor of Matt Waldron. Though Waldron was dealt the loss after giving up four earned runs in five innings, he might have performed well enough to maintain the rotation spot over Hill, who lowered his ERA on Sunday but needed 55 pitches just to record his nine outs. Since joining the Padres in an Aug. 1 deal with the Pirates, Hill has gone 0-4 with a 9.27 ERA, 1.84 WHIP and 19:10 K:BB across 22.1 innings over seven appearances (five starts).

Rich Hill
SP FA
Tue 9/5/23 4:18 AM

Hill (7-14) took the loss against Philadelphia on Monday, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 1.1 innings.
EDGE Analysis
Hill was in trouble from the get-go, allowing four of the first five batters he faced to reach base and yielding three first-inning runs on a bases-clearing double by Alec Bohm. The veteran hurler was allowed to return to the mound for the second, but things got even worse for him, as he surrendered four straight hits -- including a pair of homers -- to lead off the frame. Hill was pulled with a 6-1 deficit after just 1.1 innings, marking his shortest start of the season. Since joining the Padres on Aug. 1, the southpaw has struggled immensely, posting a 10.71 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB over 19.1 frames while losing four times in six decisions. His rotation spot may be in jeopardy despite the fact that Yu Darvish (elbow) was recently placed on the IL.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Thu 8/31/23 1:15 PM

Hill took a no-decision in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Cardinals after striking out two while allowing three earned runs on five hits and one walk across four innings.
EDGE Analysis
The southpaw had made his most recent appearance out of the bullpen this past weekend in Milwaukee after opening his tenure with the Padres with three straight poor starts, but Hill reclaimed a spot in the San Diego rotation this week with Yu Darvish (elbow) heading to the 15-day injured list. Though Hill was spared the loss Wednesday, his performance didn't inspire much confidence that he'll be able to hold down a rotation spot once Darvish is back in the fold. Through five outings with San Diego since being acquired from Pittsburgh on Aug. 1, Hill has gone 0-3 with an 8.50 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 18 innings.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Tue 8/29/23 1:13 PM

Hill is scheduled to start Wednesday's game against the Cardinals in St. Louis.
EDGE Analysis
After going 0-3 with 9.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP over his first three starts with the Padres following his acquisition from the Pirates at the trade deadline, Hill had his turn in the rotation skipped last week. He ended up working in relief in Friday's loss to Milwaukee, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over 2.2 innings. Despite his continued poor results, Hill will get a chance to step back into the San Diego rotation this week, filling the vacancy that was created when Yu Darvish (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list Monday.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Thu 8/24/23 11:07 AM1 Comment

Hill is no longer lined up to make his next turn through the rotation this weekend in Milwaukee, as the Padres have instead named Pedro Avila their starter for Saturday's game against the Brewers, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
The Padres haven't formally announced that Hill will be removed from the rotation, but the veteran southpaw will have at least one turn skipped after going 0-3 with a 9.53 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in three starts since being acquired from the Pirates on Aug. 1. Hill should be available out of the bullpen this weekend and could even piggyback Avila on Saturday. Whether Hill will rejoin the rotation or continue working out of the bullpen next week will likely hinge on how Avila fares in Milwaukee.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Fri 8/18/23 1:22 AM

Hill (7-13) took the loss against Arizona on Thursday, allowing three runs on two hits and one walk while striking out three batters over five innings.
EDGE Analysis
Hill had gone a total of 6.1 frames and surrendered nine runs over his first two appearances since joining San Diego, so his five-inning, three-run outing Thursday was a step forward. The veteran hurler retired the first 10 batters he faced and gave up only three baserunners in total, but all three scored, with homers by Tommy Pham and Gabriel Moreno responsible for the damage. Hill has lost all three of his starts as a Padre, posting a 9.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 11:3 K:BB over 11.1 frames during that stretch.

Rich Hill
SP FA
Sun 8/13/23 3:31 AM

Hill (7-12) took the loss against Arizona on Saturday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four batters over 3.1 innings.
EDGE Analysis
Hill allowed four extra-base hits among the seven knocks against him, including a Christian Walker two-run homer. The veteran hurler was pulled after racking up 83 pitches through 3.1 frames, going just one out longer than in his Padres debut, when he allowed six runs over three innings. The pair of outings are Hill's two shortest among his 23 starts this season, so it goes without saying that he's not providing the rotation boost San Diego was hoping for when it acquired him at the trade deadline. Michael Wacha (shoulder) is slated to return Tuesday, but the Padres may need to continue to roll out Hill every five days since Joe Musgrove (shoulder) isn't likely to rejoin the rotation until at least mid-September.