The Padres are lining up two important rehab milestones this week, with Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove both set to take meaningful steps toward getting back to San Diego.
Pivetta, who left his first rehab outing on Aug. 4 because of tightness in his elbow, is back on the mound Tuesday night for Single-A Lake Elsinore. The Storm announced that he’ll start in Rancho Cucamonga, a notable turn after the scare that interrupted his first attempt at building back up.
“He’s feeling very good right now,” manager Craig Stammen said of Pivetta. “Feeling a lot better. Very excited about his next opportunity.”
Because Pivetta has to restart his rehab progression, he’s still likely three or four weeks from returning. Even so, the Padres have left the door open to using him out of the bullpen, which could shorten the timeline since he wouldn’t need to be stretched back out as a starter.
“I think he’s going to get on a five-day schedule and try to ramp up to be a starting pitcher, and we’ll see,” Stammen said recently. “We’ll watch him every step of the way and determine if he’s ready to step into the rotation or if we want a different role for him.”
Musgrove is in a different spot, with his rehab already farther along. He’ll make his fourth rehab start Thursday night for Triple-A El Paso in Oklahoma City, and it could be his last one before rejoining the Padres.
In his most recent outing, Musgrove got up to 4.2 innings. The Padres would like to see him reach six innings or about 85 pitches Thursday, which would put him in position to return to the majors next week.
“I feel like I’m ready,” Musgrove said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “You know, so it’s kind of up to them what they want me to get.
Obviously, the six innings, 85 pitches or so, which I’m hoping to in this next one. So, I’ve kind of known that I have one more outing at least ahead of me."
The sprained ankle Casey Mize suffered in his latest start won’t affect Musgrove’s path. After almost two years without a big league pitch, the Padres are taking the cautious route and want the final steps to go cleanly.
"Especially with the way we’re playing, there’s not like this urgent need to rush back right now," Musgrove added. "We’re so close, so I think they really want to make sure we get it right.”
In Other News...
Manny Machado Issue Just Became A Bigger Padres Concern
Manny Machados hand has become a little more than a day-to-day nuisance for the Padres, even if he has kept taking the field. Craig Stammen confirmed Machado is dealing with a bruise on the inside of his index finger, the kind of small injury that can still be aggravating every time he makes contact, and the club is planning to have him wear a protective sleeve as it keeps an eye on how he responds.
Machado has continued to play every game, which is part of why this bears watching closely rather than sounding the alarm immediately. For a Padres team that leans on his presence in the middle of the lineup and on the infield, any lingering irritation that affects his swing is the sort of issue that can quietly grow into something more consequential if it does not ease up. [Read more 🡒]
Manny Machado Issue Just Raised The Stakes For Padres Push
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The immediate question is whether Machado will be in the lineup for the next game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. For a Padres club trying to keep its push on track, even a short-term absence from the middle of the order and the left side of the infield would force a quick adjustment, and the uncertainty now hangs over every at-bat he takes until the hand settles down. [Read more 🡒]
Padres Face A Roster Squeeze At The Worst Possible Time
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There was more churn on the pitching side, too, with the team officially releasing a former Dodgers arm as it continues to sort out the back end of the roster. Craig Stammen also weighed in on Ty Frances place in the mix, pointing to his role and leadership while France heads toward free agency, another reminder that the Padres are balancing the present against what comes next at the same time. [Read more 🡒]