Joe Musgrove is finally getting close to the point where the Padres can start imagining him back on a mound.
The right-hander, who has not thrown a pitch for San Diego this season, is on track to begin facing batters next week after a recovery process that has dragged on far longer than anyone expected. Musgrove had Tommy John surgery and then hit a setback during spring training, leaving his elbow to dictate a slow, frustrating timeline.
That stretch has tested his patience, but Musgrove said the latest signs are encouraging. He told the San Diego Union-Tribune, “I feel like I’m recovering really well,” Musgrove said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “… [That] is different than it’s been for the past handful of months.”
He’s also said he’s pain-free after bullpen sessions, and now he’s trying to push the process along a little faster. “I’m trying to expedite that process a little bit,” he said.
Musgrove has taken a careful route back, but he also made clear he doesn’t want to linger any longer than necessary. He said, “Obviously we want to get back here as soon as possible,” Musgrove said.
“So, being smart along the way but probably skipping a few of the extra lives and the extra [simulated] games. Just try to get right to it.
… I think in a month I can make up a lot of ground and get in a really good spot."
The Padres’ rotation could use the help. Nick Pivetta is also dealing with an elbow injury, and the club has been left thin on the mound. Pivetta is said to be a few weeks ahead of Musgrove in his recovery, with both pitchers expected back sometime in August.
Even with that target in sight, Musgrove isn’t locking himself into one rigid return date. He said the timing will depend partly on where the Padres stand in the race, and San Diego is currently 3.5 games back of a playoff spot.
Still, he made it clear he won’t simply pack it in if the Padres fall out of contention. Musgrove hasn’t pitched in a major league game since 2024, and he wants the chance to get back out there and prove he belongs.
“It’s going to be somewhat dictated on where we’re at and the plan of the team. But I’ll tell you right now, I’m not going to shut down just because we’re out of it," Musgrove said.
"It’s really important for me to get back and pitch and earn my stay here. Obviously, I’m not going to force things and rush things back if there is no race.
But I want to get back, and I want to pitch this year.”
For the Padres, the finish line is finally coming into view. If Musgrove can return to anything close to his All-Star level, it would give their rotation a real lift.
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