Padres' Joe Musgrove Breaks Silence on Injury, Reveals Target Return Date

The San Diego Padres have been taking their time when it comes to the injury recovery of right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove.

Musgrove was originally expected to be part of the starting rotation to open the year following Tommy John surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2025 season. But the veteran suffered a setback in spring training, and is yet to get back on the mound.

His expected timeline to return has continued to be pushed back. There have even been questions about whether the veteran would come back this season at all.

But Musgrove finally provided a fresh update on his recovery, even giving a tentative timeline for his return.

“Realistically, when you look at the time it’ll take for me to build up, probably right after the All-Star break,” Musgrove said to The Athletic. “I’d love to get back sooner, but I don’t think innings-wise and time-wise there’s enough time there.

"I mean, I could come back in a relief role, I think, but they want me to start here, so I’m going to try to get everything where I can get built up to start in the second half.”

If the Padres could get Musgrove back after the All-Star break, it could have massive ramifications for this team. Not only would San Diego be getting the former All-Star added to the rotation, but the depth on the staff would be increased.

But even with this timeline, Musgrove won't rush anything, and nothing is set in stone. The veteran wants to make sure that he is fully healed before he takes the mound again as to not suffer another setback.

“I’m not holding myself to a deadline. The training staff’s not holding me to a deadline,” Musgrove said. “It’s not like we’re going to speed the process up to make a certain date. But if everything goes smoothly, we have those windows in mind."

Due to injuries to Musgrove, Nick Pivetta, Germán Márquez and Matt Waldron, the Padres have resorted to other means to fill the rotation. This includes them signing Lucas Giolito to a free agent deal, and he has been great for them so far.

Entering the year, the biggest question around the Padres was the starting rotation, but now the group could look like a real strength in the second half of the season. Musgrove was excellent for San Diego in 2024 before he went down with the elbow injury, posting an ERA of 3.88 over 19 starts.

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