SAN DIEGO -- If Joe Musgrove returns to the Padres this season, it now seems likely that he would not do so as a traditional starting pitcher.
Musgrove is in the midst of another setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. With time running out on the season, he and the Padres are exploring the possibility of short starts, or even a temporary transition to the bullpen.
Speaking at Petco Park on Friday afternoon before the Padres' series opener against the Yankees, a visibly dejected Musgrove noted that he was “running out of answers.” After undergoing surgery in October 2024, he’d hoped to be a part of the Padres’ season-opening rotation.
Instead, Musgrove dealt with a setback after making one appearance in Spring Training and is now in dealing with another. Musgrove built up to five innings in his most recent rehab appearance, but his post-start recovery has become the central issue.
“As good as I felt a couple of starts ago, I’m not necessarily in the same place,” Musgrove said. “I don’t think I’m a wrap for the year. We’re just trying to look at some different options -- shorter appearances, different theories. I’m running out of answers.”
Musgrove needed 12 days between rehab starts in August and now seems to be on a similar trajectory for his next one. He’s yet to throw a bullpen, and there are no plans for his next outing.
The issue isn’t exactly “soreness,” Musgrove says. It’s his ability to throw at all in the days after he pitches.
“I’ve thrown with soreness before,” he said. “It’s just physically not possible. I don’t have range of motion. Can’t put much on it. It’s not a permanent thing. It comes back. But it’s just: How do I manage those first couple days?”
The encouraging part? When Musgrove has pitched, he’s shown signs of being the same guy who was excellent with the Padres for four seasons from 2021-24. He threw five innings of one-run ball for Triple-A El Paso on Aug. 27 in his last time out.
That’s why the Padres feel there’s still value in figuring out a way to get Musgrove back on the mound -- even if it’s not in a traditional every-fifth-day starter role.
“If you’re dreaming on something, you’re thinking about a playoff scenario where we have a Joe Musgrove available for a couple innings,” said manager Craig Stammen. “I think we’d all take that.”
The next step -- after a bullpen session -- is presumably a shorter rehab outing as an experiment to see how Musgrove feels afterward. For now at least, Stammen noted that Musgrove would continue to be used as a starter.
“I’m just trusting the staff to give me a good plan, trying some different options as far as inning count, a bullpen appearance maybe instead of a start,” Musgrove said. “I’m just kind of throwing everything up in the air right now.”
If Musgrove could get to a point where he could pitch in, say, semi-regular 2-3 inning bursts, that could theoretically still help the Padres. (Provided he’s effective, of course.) In big games, the San Diego bullpen is deep enough, they might legitimately only need two or three innings from their starters.
But Musgrove doesn’t want to burden the team by taking up a roster spot if he’s only able to pitch sporadically.
“I feel physically like I’m at the point where I’m built up, I’m ready to pitch in the big leagues,” Musgrove said. “I just need to be able to show them I can recover and be someone they can count on and not take a roster spot just to sit here and throw once a week.”
The Padres have other options in their rotation, of course. They added Casey Mize and Robbie Ray at the Trade Deadline, and Walker Buehler and Randy Vásquez have been strong in the second half.
Nick Pivetta, who has been recovering from elbow trouble alongside Musgrove, appears to be nearing a return himself. He’s slated to throw a bullpen at Petco Park this weekend, before what could be his final rehab start at some point next week.
So, the Padres have options. (Plus, the sport’s best bullpen.) There are ways they can make it work. They have all season.
That doesn’t make this any easier on Musgrove, who is clearly dying to contribute in any way. Musgrove was asked how hard it was to be in the midst of another setback, after all he’s been through already in his recovery from surgery.
“The hardest thing ever,” Musgrove said, and he left it at that.