Latest Joe Musgrove Update Spells Bad News for Him Returning to Padres Soon

The San Diego Padres have eagerly awaited the return of All-Star pitcher Joe Musgrove, but the latest update indicates that won't be any time soon.

Musgrove spoke with the Times of San Diego's Barry M. Bloom about his progress in recovering from Tommy John surgery, which took place 18 months ago.

“I’m just in the beginning stages of picking up a throwing program,” Musgrove said. “I’m pretty basic right now. I’m not throwing off the mound yet.”

Musgrove is in the early stages of ramping back up and hasn't thrown off a mound since March 8. A month later, there has been no progress on that front.

The Padres shut down Musgrove in spring training after he felt pain and discomfort in his elbow. The right-hander pitched just once in a game in an exhibition against Great Britain.

Less than a week before Opening Day, manager Craig Stammen was reluctant to provide a timeline for Musgrove's return to the rotation.

“Everything’s good with Joe. We’re just taking that little breather, like we talked about," Stammen said. "Probably not making the beginning of the season, but we’ll have him at some point. Excited for him to get over this little hump, take a little breather and then get back at it."

Almost a full week into April and it appears Musgrove is in relatively the same place.

This spells bad news for the Padres rotation as its depth hasn't invoked a ton of confidence for the team early in 2026. Musgrove was poised to anchor the group, with Stammen going as far to say the right-hander could emerge as the best pitcher in the National League.

How Padres Can Bolster Rotation Amid Joe Musgrove's Prolonged Absence

The Padres frontline starters in Michael King and Nick Pivetta have performed well enough with No. 3 starter Randy Vásquez continuing to turn heads in 2026. However, veterans Walker Buehler and Germán Marquez have struggled to find their stride to begin the season.

Both pitchers allowed three or more runs in their first time through the order. The Padres can take an aggressive approach with their rotation woes and trade for a starting pitcher.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller has earned a reputation for shocking the league with the deals he's made, so why not continue doing so in 2026?

It has already been discussed why the Padres could "save" Sandy Alcantara from his current situation with the Miami Marlins, an organization that has struggled with fan attendance even when their ace is on the mound and throws a complete game.

Alcantara would have no problem with filled seats at Petco Park as the Padres announced sellouts for the first six games of 2026.

However, a trade for a Cy Young winning pitcher would require a considerable amount of resources. It's unclear whether the Padres could actually give a worthy return package.

On the other hand, and perhaps the more likely outcome, is the Padres wait for injured starters like Matt Waldron and Griffin Canning to join the rotation. Waldron is expected to return from the injured list soon, which perhaps would give the team a much-needed boost.