Padres' Joe Musgrove Has Tried 'Everything' to Get Better: 'I've Been Very Lost'

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove has seen a long road to recovery after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024.

Musgrove was expected to open this season in the Padres' starting rotation, but he suffered a setback in spring training. At first, the issue didn't seem to be a major concern, but the veteran right-hander has still not made his 2026 debut.

His elbow hasn't been cooperating in the manner that he and the team have wanted, keeping him out for much longer than expected. Musgrove has been trying everything to get himself back healthy enough to take the next step toward a return, and there is still an expectation that he will pitch this season.

The Padres have continuously said that they expect him to return after the All-Star break this year, and it seems that is still the plan. Even with this idea, the veteran pitcher opened up about the entire process, getting brutally honest about it all.

“I mean, we’ve tried everything under the sun,” Musgrove said to the Times of San Diego. “But it’s not the usual type of injury I’m familiar with that just responds well to rest and rehab. I’ve been very lost.

"We’ve done nine weeks of rest and no throwing. I’ve done injections, cortisone shots, stem cells. We’ve tapped into every resource we have and talked to a lot of people who have been through it before, and we’ve tried some new theories that are pretty new to the PT [physical therapy] world."

The long recovery process would be taxing on anyone, especially when Musgrove thought he would be back to start the season. But all he can do is keep staying patient, allowing the injury to heal fully.

“For the better part of it I wasn’t getting any better. Every day I’d come in feeling the same. It was frustrating because I was putting a lot of hours in, following different routines and special diets. I just wasn’t getting any results from it," Musgrove said. "All I could do at that point was just trust the process and continue to look for different avenues."

Musgrove missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing the surgery, so he hasn't pitched in a big league game since the wild-card round in 2024. Even if he is able to return in the second half of the season, it may take him some time to readjust to the speed of the game.

The Padres could use his services in the starting rotation, so he would be welcomed back with open arms. Before going down, Musgrove was a catalyst for this pitching staff, being a key contributor in his four years with the team.

Veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta is also out with an elbow injury, and is expected to return around the same time as Musgrove. It's been reported that Musgrove is a few weeks behind Pivetta's recovery.

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