Padres' Joe Musgrove Doesn't Know When He'll Be Ready to Pitch Next

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove doesn't know when he'll be ready to pitch next, which is bad news for a team that has major question marks in their starting rotation.

With Musgrove dealing with a minor setback in his recovery from Tommy John surgery, the Padres may not have one of their starters to begin the 2026 season. The right-hander revealed he is taking his recovery from Tommy John surgery one day at a time.

“Just trying to manage it,” Musgrove said. “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 said the pause this spring has been “a little bit” unsettling. He last pitched on March 4 in an exhibition game against Great Britian, his first outing since 2024.

“But 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.”

Padres Focused on Joe Musgrove's Health in October

While there's some uncertainty surrounding Musgrove's availability for Opening Day, the Padres know the right-hander's health down the stretch and in the postseason is of upmost importance. Everything else is secondary, including his status for the start of the season.

Manager Craig Stammen knows how much they're asking of Musgrove, a pitcher that is coming off his first Tommy John surgery. And so, the right-hander is getting "extra rest" before he begins to ramp up again.

"It’s just something that I think it’s in the best interest for him and in the best interest for our team so that we can get him pitching when it matters most, and that’s when we see Playoff Joe," Stammen said.

"So we’re thinking about getting him through the entire season, not just getting him to Opening Day.”

Musgrove last pitched in 2024, where he sported a 3.88 ERA with 101 strikeouts across 99.2 innings pitched. However, he posted a 2.15 ERA in his final nine starts of the season for the Padres that year.

The hope is that Musgrove can replicate that same type of production in 2026, even if that means starting a little after Opening Day.

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