Padres Announce Unfortunate Joe Musgrove Injury News Ahead of Opening Day

Joe Musgrove's long-awaited return from Tommy John surgery will have to wait a little longer.

On Monday, San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen announced Musgrove is expected to open the 2026 season on the injured list.

“He’s most likely going to start on the IL this year," Stammen said. "This was part of the plan. We knew he was going to have to take some time off, we knew we were going to have to get him ready for the entire season, and not just Opening Day.”

Musgrove pitched just once this spring in a March 4 exhibition against Great Britain. He hasn't pitched since aside from a bullpen, and is now set to open the year on the injured list in an unfortunate development for the Padres.

Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2024 after he was forced to exit his Wild Card start early due to elbow tightness. The right-hander attempted to return for the 2025 postseason, but the Padres elected to slow-play him, instead getting him ready to return for the start of the 2026 season.

Musgrove was on track to do just that as me made his first start in early March. However, the right-hander didn't bounce back from that start as he expected, and has been sidelined ever since.

“Just trying to manage it,” Musgrove said last week. “Kind of relying on the training staff to help lay out a program for me and a plan. Kind of following their lead. Right now, I’m just kind of day to day until I feel like I’m ready to take the mound. And when I tell them I’m good, we’ll be ready to go.”

Musgrove was hoping to be a full-go this spring, but also understands that this is what it means to come off major elbow surgery.

“I also know that this is kind of what’s expected — not with everybody, but it’s very common to have some of these struggles early on and good days, bad days,” Musgrove said. “I just want to make sure I’m continuing to move forward. Whether that’s taking a few days here and picking back up when I’m ready, I’m willing to do that to be able to continue to push the ball forward and be ready. … I didn’t expect to have this smooth sailing all the way through and never have any issues with it. Obviously, I would have loved to feel great and never have any setbacks, but I’m at peace with it and I was ready for it. And mentally, I’m in a good spot. Just trying to manage it all.”

Musgrove was acquired by the Padres ahead of the 2021 season, and he's turned into the de facto ace of the staff ever since.

The right-hander has made 97 starts (and 98 appearances) for San Diego in the regular season, going 37-24 with a 3.20 ERA and 585 strikeouts across 559.1 innings pitched. He's also made four postseason starts, sporting a 2.82 ERA across 22.1 innings pitched.

Musgrove pitched the first no-hitter in Padres history in April 2021 and earned his first career All-Star selection in 2022. He struggled with elbow issues throughout the 2024 season before ultimately getting Tommy John surgery that October.

Who will replace Joe Musgrove in Padres rotation?

With Musgrove set to miss the start of the season, the Padres have a major hole to fill in the starting rotation.

Michael King, Nick Pivetta and Randy Vásquez will be the top three starters in the rotation. After that, there will be a battle for the final two spots between Germán Márquez, Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales, JP Sears and Triston McKenzie.

Márquez and Buehler appear to be the favorites to earn those spots, but the Padres could also get creative, using long relievers such as Logan Gillaspie or Kyle Hart as the de facto fifth starter early in the season.

Stammen isn't ready to rush into that decision.

"We'll probably pick spots [in our rotation] the day before Opening Day," Stammen said.

"We're gonna be smart, we're gonna be patient and we're gonna try to make the best decision we can make with all the information."

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