Padres Insider Reveals Tentative Return Timeline for Nick Pivetta, Joe Musgrove

The San Diego Padres have been able to remain competitive in the National League West race despite dealing with major injuries to the pitching staff.

San Diego has been without veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove for the entire season, while Nick Pivetta only made four starts for the team before going on the injured list.

Both guys were expected to help carry the load in the rotation, but the injuries have forced others to step up.

Both pitchers have been recovering from elbow injuries, with Musgrove trying to come back from a setback he suffered during spring training in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Pivetta suffered a flexor strain last month after leaving a start early.

Each player's recovery has come with minimal updates and no clear timeline. However, Padres insider Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reported a rough idea of when each guy could come back.

"It is too early to put a timeline on when either pitcher will return, but the hope is that they are ready to contribute sometime in late summer," Acee wrote.

The hope is that both pitchers can get back on track down the stretch of the year, giving the Padres' rotation a major boost. San Diego could then have a loaded starting rotation, which is something that nobody expected at the start of the season.

The Padres did sign Lucas Giolito to help with depth purposes, and he has given them some breathing room with the other injuries.

Joe Musgrove's Recovery

Musgrove has been recovering from Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2025 season. The expectation was that he would be able to return to the starting rotation to open the season, but the setback was extremely unfortunate.

The right-hander has been doing what he can to get back, but for the longest time, his elbow just hasn't cooperated with him. The team decided to take a patient approach with his recovery, giving him ample time to return.

The last thing that anyone wants from this situation is for Musgrove to come back too soon, only to re-injure himself. But it does seem that Musgrove will be back before Pivetta, even if it's after the All-Star break.

Nick Pivetta's Recovery

As for Pivetta, his injury doesn't seem to be as simple, but he has been working his way back. Pivetta recently provided an update on his injury, saying that he is taking his time as well.

Like Musgrove, Pivetta is going down the cautious road when it comes to his return. Pivetta wants to make sure he is around to help the Padres in the later part of the season, so getting fully healthy will be crucial

Before he went down, Pivetta was seen as the ace of the pitching staff, as he was looking to duplicate his success from last season. Overall, the veteran made four starts for the Padres, posting an ERA of 4.50.

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