Latest Joe Musgrove Update is Not Promising for Padres

The 33-year-old pitcher hasn't thrown to hitters since his last rehab game

Sep 5, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres Joe Musgrove (44) watches game play during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joe Musgrove's 2026 season is not necessarily over. Yet the longer the right-hander goes without facing hitters, the less hope the San Diego Padres have of seeing him on a mound in a game this year.

Musgrove still hasn't faced hitters since his last minor league rehabilitation game on Aug. 27. The cruel irony: Musgrove pitched well that day, allowing one run in five innings for the El Paso Chihuahuas.

The problem was his recovery from that game took too long for the Padres to consider activating him from the injured list.

Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters Saturday that Musgrove is still playing catch in hopes of pitching this season.

"He's still trying to push for that opportunity to make it back, and that's a good sign for the Padres," Stammen said.

The bad sign is that the most likely path forward for Musgrove (over the last week of the regular season, and the postseason as long as the Padres are alive) is as a relief pitcher. If he can't recover in time to throw on consecutive days, that's not a viable option.

"He's experimenting a little bit probably with how much he can throw and still be able to throw the next day," Stammen said.

Earlier this month, Musgrove said "something about high-intensity throws is just not allowing me to play catch for a couple days."

In theory, the longer the Padres play in the postseason, the more time Musgrove has to mount a comeback. In practice?

"This season we've given him a lot of time," Stammen said, "and it hasn't quite worked out."

Musgrove is under contract this season and next for $20 million. In a nine-year MLB career with the Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros, Musgrove is 66-62 with a 3.73 ERA (108 ERA+). He made the only All-Star team of his career in 2022 with the Padres.

Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in October 2024. The El Cajon native is 37-24 with a 3.20 ERA in 98 games (97 starts) since joining the Padres prior to the 2021 season. He's started four postseason games in that span — more than all but three pitchers in franchise history.

Plenty of pitchers undergo Tommy John procedures. Most make it back, but not all make it back to their previous level of performance. Some never make it back altogether.

Realistically, the Padres should merely hope they see a familiar version of Musgrove in 2027.

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