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* Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.* Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.* Remove ads and support our writers.* Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker## Padres Pause Nick Pivetta’s Rehab, May Have Contractual RamificationsThe Padres are pausing **Nick Pivetta’s** rehab assignment pending further evaluation, manager Craig Stammen told reporters (including AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Pivetta departed in the middle of his first inning of his rehab assignment with Low-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday.It’s not entirely clear what happened, as the veteran starter was able to throw a 20-30 pitch bullpen session later that day. He went through a long toss program yesterday and was not scheduled for any imaging, at least as of last night (link via Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune).Stammen said today that nothing has explicitly changed with his health and framed this as a matter of caution. “Any time someone comes off the mound in the middle of an inning when they’re rehabbing an elbow injury, we’ve got to pause,” the skipper said. Pivetta has been out since the middle of April with a flexor strain.Even if it’s true that this isn’t a major setback, it’s likely to have contractual ramifications. Pivetta signed a four-year, $55MM free agent deal over the 2024-25 offseason. That came with opt-out chances for the righty after the ’26 and ’27 seasons but also included an injury protection clause for the team (as reported at the time by Ronald Blum of The Associated Press).Pivetta’s contract contains a conditional $14MM club option for 2027 that goes into effect if Pivetta suffers a specific injury within the first two seasons that causes him to spend more than 130 consecutive days on the injured list. Both The Union-Tribune and Bob Nightengale of USA Today have written that Pivetta’s current injury would trigger that clause.The injured list placement occurred on April 14. Pivetta would therefore need to return by August 22 to stay at the 130-day mark. He’d likely have been on track to do that had his rehab assignment gone smoothly. That’s a much tighter window now, as even pushing the rehab stint by a week or so would mean he’d be down to one or two minor league appearances before he’d need to be reinstated.