Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove Take Huge Step Toward Return to Padres

A San Diego Padres team fighting to make the postseason could receive a major boost with the return of two key starting pitchers.

Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta both completed live innings against hitters for the first time in each of their recoveries. Musgrove threw 23 pitches and Pivetta tossed 20 at the team's spring training facility in Peoria, AZ on Friday.

News from Arizona:

Joe Musgrove threw 23 pitches in an “inning” of live BP.
Nick Pivetta threw 20 pitches an “inning” of live BP.

Both are scheduled to throw another live BP next week.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) July 25, 2026

Friday marked the first time either pitcher has faced live batters since the beginning of this season. Musgrove, who underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2024 and has had an extensive recovery, suffered a setback during spring training. Pivetta made four starts in 2026 with a 4.50 ERA before suffering his injury.

The duo will remain in Arizona for at least one more live batting practice session and will hope to begin rehab stints in the near future to set up potential returns this season.

AJ Cassavell of MLB.com predicted their return for mid-to-late August, but there are certainly no guarantees when it comes to injury recovery.

And by mid-to-late August, it could be too late to save the Padres' season.

After sweeping the Miami Marlines, the Padres are bak at .500 at 53-53. They're within three games in the wild-card race. A lack of quality starting pitching is a major reason why the seventh-highest payroll is producing such lackluster results.

The Padres have the fourth-worst team starting pitching ERA this season at 4.68. Michael King has performed well this season, with a 3.24 ERA across 21 starts, but the other starters have largely disappointed.

Walker Buehler has continued to fade from his 2019 and 2021 All-Star days with a 5.13 ERA. Buehler, Randy Vasquez, Griffin Canning, and German Marquez — who have all made at least 10 starts — have a combined 17-22 record as starters.

If Musgrove and Pivetta are able to return, they would add a much needed boost to the starting rotation. In his last healthy season, Musgrove tossed a 3.88 ERA across 19 starts in 2024. In 2025, Pivetta held a 2.87 ERA in 2025 and made 31 starts with a 13-5 record.

“Obviously we want to get back here as soon as possible,” Musgrove said in mid-July. “So, being smart along the way but probably skipping a few of the extra lives and the extra [simulated] games. Just try to get right to it. … I think in a month I can make up a lot of ground and get in a really good spot."

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