Padres’ Nick Pivetta Abruptly Exits Rehab Game With Apparent Injury in Concerning Development

San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta abruptly left his rehab start at Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday with an apparent injury.

Pivetta walked off the mound after throwing his 14th pitch before heading straight to the dugout. This was Pivetta's first rehab appearance.

The right-hander was seen shaking his head on the way back to the dugout. Before leaving, Pivetta threw 14 pitches, eight for strikes, while hitting 95 mph.

An update from Lake Elsinore.

Nick Pivetta walked off the mound after throwing a pitch and went straight to the dugout. pic.twitter.com/qdpo3eGHZ9
— Sammy Levitt (@SammyLev) August 4, 2026

Pivetta will likely undergo tests to figure out what happened, but this is obviously a concerning and disappointing development. San Diego has been waiting for the veteran to return since he left his fourth start of the year due to elbow discomfort.

Pivetta has been slow-playing his injury recovery to make sure that he is fully healthy to return. The right-hander was supposed to be the ace of the Padres' staff following a strong 2025 season.

The right-hander could also lose a lot of money if he doesn't come back by Aug. 22, as the final two years of his deal with the Padres can be voided. This latest setback almost certainly rules him out to return by then.

Pivetta was piggybacking off right-hander Joe Musgrove's rehab assignment. The two pitchers have been out for the majority of the season with elbow injuries, and this was their first rehab outings.

How Did Joe Musgrove’s Rehab Assignment Go?

On a brighter note for the Padres, Musgrove was able to complete his rehab start. The veteran lasted 2.2 innings, throwing 39 pitches. Musgrove gave up a single and a double, while allowing a run to be scored on a wild pitch.

The veteran right-hander also walked two batters and struck out three.

Every Joe Musgrove pitch in the 1st inning. Had 2 strikeouts. pic.twitter.com/QFPSM9qWUe
— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) August 4, 2026

After the outing, Musgrove reflected on his performance.

“Good. I think big checkmark is just getting in there, getting in the pace and the tempo of a normal start. Kind of getting your times back in line, getting comfortable being on the mound with the pitch clock, obviously having hitters in the box," Musgrove said to reporters, via Marty Caswell. "So checked off a lot of things, physically feel great. So, yeah, good day.”

"A good day." #Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove on his rehab start for @Storm_Baseball @FriarTerritory pic.twitter.com/odA0qn5Ea2
— Marty Caswell (@MartyCaswell) August 4, 2026

The Padres will now proceed with caution regarding Pivetta, but Musgrove's start gives them some promise. Musgrove has been out since the end of the 2024 season, with the right-hander missing all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery.

Thankfully for the Padres, the team traded for two starters before the deadline on Monday. Left-hander Robbie Ray and right-hander Casey Mize should be joining the rotation soon, and it appears that at least Musgrove will be a few weeks behind them.

Add us as a preferred source on Google