Padres' Joe Musgrove 'Expects' to Pitch in 2026

The San Diego Padres fell back down to .500 on Thursday night for the first time since April 8. Not only was it the sixth straight loss for the Friars, but it came at the hands of the divisional foe Los Angeles Dodgers.

Right-hander Randy Vásquez allowed four earned runs in three innings of work in what was another disappointing outing by a Padres starting pitcher. After the game, manager Craig Stammen revealed that his hurler fainted on the way to getting an X-ray on his ankle.

Elsewhere in the rotation, right-hander Michael King had an ERA of 4.45 in June and Walker Buehler — despite a brilliant showing in June — struggled mightily to kick off July.

Additionally, last season's de facto ace Nick Pivetta has been on the shelf since mid-April due to a flexor strain, and there is one pivotal piece to the rotation that was expected to be back this season but hasn't yet pitched in Joe Musgrove.

After the All-Star right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2024, the assumption was that Musgrove would be back to open up the 2026 campaign.

After quite a few setbacks and still being on the shelf, Musgrove opened up on how he still believes that he will be back on the mound for a team that desperately needs a starting pitching boost.

“This is my second or third time trying to get ramped up. I know throughout my rehab, it was a lot of, I don’t want to say lying to myself, but I was telling myself I felt a lot better than I did," Musgrove said to Barry Bloom of the Times of San Diego.

“This time it feels noticeably different. Once we get through the phase of buildup and throwing, I don’t know how many bullpens they’re going to want to see or how many I’m going to need before some [minor league] rehab games. That’s up to me. But I see getting back on the mound relatively soon. And I expect to be pitching again this season. I really do.”

Musgrove said earlier this year that he was feeling pain in his elbow when throwing specific pitches. He's started and stopped his progression multiple times, but is starting to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I feel good about where I am at now and I’m just grateful to have some days of pain-free time,” he said.

With the trade deadline just one month away, the addition of Musgrove paired with more critical areas addressed can prove to be quite the boost in the second half for San Diego.

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