Padres' Joe Musgrove Appears Nowhere Near Return to Action

Just when the San Diego Padres thought they might be getting right-hander Joe Musgrove back for the start of the 2026 season, he suffered a minor setback in his return efforts. Musgrove will not be with the team to open the year as he is starting the season on the injured list.

Musgrove was recovering from Tommy John surgery after missing the entire 2025 season. Padres manager Craig Stammen confirmed the status of Musgrove for the time being.

“He’s most likely going to start on the IL this year," Stammen said last week. "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.”

Based on the latest update from Padres insider Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, it doesn't seem like Musgrove will be returning any time soon.

"It is not known when Musgrove, who had Tommy John surgery in October 2024, will return. He has not thrown off a mound since March 8 and would likely need at least three or four minor-league starts before joining the Padres," Acee wrote.

Whenever he does return, Musgrove will be given a spot in the starting rotation, but for now, San Diego will move forward with who they have available. At this point, it seems likely that Germán Márquez will be given the fifth spot in the rotation after a strong finish to his spring outings.

Before he suffered his torn UCL, Musgrove was a central part of the Padres' starting rotation. The right-hander was seen as one of the more consistent members of the team, so losing him hurts.

In 2024, Musgrove made 19 starts for the Padres, posting an ERA of 3.88 over 99.2 innings of work. The righty struck out 101 batters during this time, while walking 23.

The Padres are hoping that Musgrove can return at some point soon to contribute to the season. San Diego still has high goals of winning the World Series this year — despite all the odds going against them — and Musgrove seems to be a key piece to this idea.

Opening Day for the Padres will take place on March 26 against the Detroit Tigers. San Diego will be challenged early on, facing off against the reigning back-to-back AL Cy Young award winner, Tarik Skubal, in the matchup.