Padres Manager Offers Ominous Return Timeline for Joe Musgrove

San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen didn't provide a firm timeline for Joe Musgrove's return, simply stating the right-hander will return "at some point."

“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."

Musgrove is recovering from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entire 2025 season. The right-hander was making good progress this spring, but suffered a setback in camp.

Earlier this week, Stammen announced Musgrove would likely begin the 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.”

Aside from a bullpen, the right-hander pitched just once this spring in a March 4 exhibition against Great Britain. Now, it appears the Padres starting rotation won't have one of their staples for at least the start of the season.

What Does Joe Musgrove's Injury Mean for Padres Starting Rotation?

Musgrove, Nick Pivetta and Michael King were expected to anchor the starting rotation to open the season. Now, the Padres will be without one of their most important arms.

The Padres were seemingly going to have Randy Vásquez be their fourth starter while they searched for the final spot this spring. Musgrove's setback leaves the Padres scouring camp for two starters, rather than just one.

Stammen has spent the last few weeks evaluating several veteran pitchers, including former All-Star Walker Buehler and longtime veteran Germán Márquez.

Buehler is sporting a 3.09 ERA through three appearances this spring with 13 strikeouts across 11.2 innings of work. He is coming off his best performance for the Padres as he tossed five shutout innings against the San Francisco Giants earlier this week.

Márquez had previously spent his decade-long MLB career with the Colorado Rockies. He hasn't put on his best performance in camp, posting a 9.26 ERA across 11.2 innings.

“The only thing I can control is going out there and doing my job,” Márquez said. “They are going to make the decision and I’m just going to do my job.”

Regardless, Márquez remains in the conversation as the Padres navigate losing both Dylan Cease (to free agency) and Yu Darvish (to injury) in a single offseason.

The Padres could also stick with a four-man rotation to open the season instead of the classic five-man rotation since they only play six games over the season's first eight days.

Opening Day is one week away, so the Padres must make some tough decisions rather quickly. What they know for certain, though, is Musgrove won't be available for the start of the season.