The San Diego Padres' pitching hopes dim as Musgrove's comeback faces elbow inflammation, delaying his return. Uncertainty clouds when the former All-Star will finally pitch again.
The San Diego Padres are off to a winless start in the 2026 season, though there have been only two games played. Still, it’s not the preferred start for a team with postseason dreams such as the Padres.
In their season opener against the Detroit Tigers, San Diego allowed eight runs to score and saw five more score on Friday. Their troubles on the mound have only highlighted their need for help on their pitching staff, but when they will get that help is still up in the air.
Right-hander Joe Musgrove is going to return to the bump for the first time in October of 2024 at some point this season, but that’s exactly the problem – there’s no idea when he’ll make his long-awaited return for the Padres.
After missing all of the 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, Musgrove was fully cleared for spring training. He got minimal action in spring, however, as he experienced inflammation in the same elbow he received surgery on in late 2024.
The inflammation came after Musgrove's exhibition start for the Padres against Team Great Britain. In that start, Musgrove went for two innings, allowing five hits, one walk, striking out three, and allowing one run. Since this appearance, Musgrove has not been back on the mound.
San Diego placed the former All-Star on the 15-day injured list ahead of Opening Day earlier this week, confirming the concern around his injury setback. There is fear that Musgrove may be out for longer than those 15 days, however.
"I don't have a timeline yet," Musgrove told reporters on Opening Day. “I didn’t feel quite as good throughout the buildup of the offseason. Nothing that prohibited me from throwing. Just not feeling as free and consistent during the throwing, and then the recovery stuff was a little more difficult. And again, I kind of chalked that up to just the process of building back up, and was hoping to hit that stride and break through and start feeling better, and it just never really came.”
“So it’s important to address it now, instead of forcing my way in at the start of the season and missing a bigger chunk of time.”
Despite the uncertainty, the 33-year-old has started to play catch – a positive sign showing he is trending in the right direction. He’s got the first step towards a return complete, but he’ll still need to progress to bullpen sessions, live BP, and a minor league game before he’s truly able to return for the Padres.
Though it may take more time than the Padres had hoped for, Musgrove should be returning to the bump at some point this spring. With concerns about the Padres’ current pitching staff, the sooner Musgrove can return, the better the Friars' outlook will be.
In the meantime, Musgrove will continue to be present in the Padres dugout and bullpen as they look to get their first win of the season on Saturday night in the final game of the series against the Tigers. First pitch is set for 5:40 p.m. PST.