Padres' Joe Musgrove Says Elbow 'Just Not Cooperating' Amid Recovery

The hits just keep coming for the San Diego Padres and right-hander Joe Musgrove as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery.

Musgrove missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing surgery, and he was expected to return to open the 2026 season.

However, Musgrove suffered a setback in spring training and wasn't able to open the year with the Padres. This was a major blow to the Padres' pitching plans, especially considering the uncertainty that was already around the starting rotation.

Recently, Musgrove provided an update on where he is in terms of a return, and his comments aren't exactly what the Padres want to hear. Musgrove said that his elbow just isn't "cooperating" with him while he tries to come back to the mound.

"We’ve invested so much time on rest and recovery stuff. I don’t want to waste the time that we’ve taken by pushing it back and then having to start this process all over again. I’m trying to get better as efficiently and quickly as I can. But it’s just not cooperating as well as I want to," Musgrove said.

The Padres star hasn't thrown off a mound since March 8, when he pitched in a bullpen session after he threw an exhibition against Great Britain on March 4. All he has been able to do is play catch over the last few weeks.

With this, there doesn't seem to be any sort of timeline for when he can get back to the team. Musgrove has even said that he doesn't feel comfortable coming back until he is fully healthy, mainly because the last thing he wants to do is hurt the team.

“Especially at this level. It’s one thing to come back in high school or college and keep pitching your season, but to get major-league hitters out, your (expletive) has got to be good and you’ve got to be confident. And I just don’t have that right now," Musgrove said.

Musgrove doesn't want to put the Padres in a tough spot, so making sure he feels good about taking the mound is crucial. The right-hander won't be rushed back, even with all the other struggles from some in the Padres rotation this year.

Nick Pivetta, Randy Vásquez and Michael King have held down the fort for this team right now. Walker Buehler and Germán Márquez have been inconsistent to open the new year.

San Diego has found ways to win games despite this, and whenever Musgrove can return, he will be a welcome addition. In his last season with the Padres in 2024, Musgrove made 19 starts, posting an ERA of 3.88 over 99.2 innings of work.