The Padres finally had something to celebrate with Joe Musgrove, even if it came while the right-hander remains stuck in a long rehab process.
Musgrove has reached 10 years of Major League Baseball service time, a milestone that fully vests his pension. San Diego marked the occasion on social media with a simple message: "Congratulations on 10 years of Major League service time, Joe! pic.twitter.com/2e0Yr1SG5x"
That bit of good news lands against a tougher backdrop. Musgrove has still not made his season debut after suffering a setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery during spring training. He has been working his way back ever since, and there is still no firm timetable for when he will be ready to return.
The process has been slow, but there was a meaningful step forward this past week. Musgrove threw his first bullpen session since being shut down early in the spring, a session he described as limited and controlled.
“It was pretty much fastballs only,” Musgrove said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I threw a couple of my other [pitches], but mainly just like a 80% touch-and-feel kind of bullpen.”
The Padres have been hoping for a return after the All-Star break, though August now looks like the more realistic target. Musgrove has also begun taking part in fielding practice.
San Diego has had to navigate injuries throughout its pitching staff this season, and Musgrove’s absence is part of that larger problem. The veteran right-hander has been one of the key arms in the rotation since arriving in San Diego, where he has spent the last four seasons after stops with the Houston Astros and Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Padres brought him in from Pittsburgh in a major three-team trade before the 2022 season, and he made an immediate impact. Musgrove earned an All-Star nod in 2022, when he made 30 starts and posted a 2.93 ERA.
His 2024 season was shortened by elbow troubles, but he still logged a 3.88 ERA over 19 starts.
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