Padres' Christian Friedrich: Will skip next start and move to bullpen

Friedrich will skip his start Wednesday against Atlanta and move to the bullpen in an effort to control his workload, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Analysis:

Friedrich has already thrown 99.1 innings this season, a huge increase from 58.1 last season with Colorado. Manager Andy Green said the young left-hander could make one more start next month, but it's possible he could piggyback starts when Tyson Ross likely returns from the DL next month. Nonetheless, Friedrich will be limited to relief appearances until then, as the health of his arm remains the priority. There's no word on who will take his starting role, though the Padres may simply shift to a five-man rotation.