Padres' Joe Musgrove Acknowledges He May Not Return This Season

The pitcher is 'day to day' in the most literal sense of the phrase.

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove (44) throws during the first inning of game two in the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the Atlanta Braves at Petco Park on Oct. 2, 2024. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Jim Carrey's character in "Dumb and Dumber" was quick to reply with optimism when he was given one-in-a-million chances. Joe Musgrove's self-assessment of his chances of pitching for the San Diego Padres in October sounded similarly distant, even if he was unwilling to put a number on the exact odds.

“It’s really just day to day,” Musgrove said Saturday. “If I have a good day today playing catch, maybe I throw a [bullpen session] tomorrow. Maybe I go face hitters, and maybe I’m back in a week. If it’s not good, maybe it’s after the postseason.”

So yes, Musgrove is telling you there's a chance.

The problem, of course, is that the Padres have to make plans for who will pitch in their forthcoming wild-card series (opponent to be determined). For now, they can't plan on having Musgrove available. The right-hander is still having trouble recovering from his throwing sessions as he attempts to return from Tommy John surgery.

Musgrove, 33, has the speed and command he needs to succeed in a game situation, but his ability to recover is essential as the Padres configure their rotation.

The most likely path forward for Musgrove is as a relief pitcher. If he can't recover in time to throw on consecutive days, that's not a viable option.

"When you add somebody to the roster, somebody goes off the roster," Padres manager Craig Stammen said recently. "And Joe has got to feel comfortable that he can — he wants to help our team win. He doesn’t just want to [just] pitch. And so we want him to be as comfortable as he can in that situation."

Earlier this month, Musgrove said "something about high-intensity throws is just not allowing me to play catch for a couple days." Until that changes, it's hard to make plans to pencil him in.

In theory, the longer the Padres play in the postseason, the more time Musgrove has to mount a comeback. In practice, he is "day to day" in the truest sense of the word.

Until Musgrove's arm bounces back quickly enough to be available whenever the Padres need him, he isn't a candidate for their postseason roster.

For that reason alone, his season might be over before it begins.

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

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