Inside The Padres

Padres Notes: Joe Musgrove Uncertainty, Blockbuster Trade Link, Surprise Players Could Make Roster

All the latest Padres news and notes.
Noah Camras|
Feb 18, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (44) during spring training photo day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Feb 18, 2026; Peoria, AZ, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (44) during spring training photo day. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres had an off-day on Wednesday, and will continue their Cactus League play on Thursday night against the Kansas City Royals.

While the Padres had a much needed day off, there's still plenty of news surrounding the team with Opening Day just two weeks away.

Right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove, who hasn't pitched since March 4, doesn't currently know when he's going to get back on the mound for San Diego. The Padres knew it wouldn't be a linear progression as he returns from Tommy John surgery, but Musgrove admitted feeling a bit unsettled without a clear timeline.

“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.”

In other news, the Padres have been linked to an All-Star starting pitcher as a potential landing spot in a blockbuster trade deadline deal. While the Padres have a depleted farm system, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller seems to always find a way to make a trade when he needs to.

Finally, a handful of surprise players are making a serious push to break camp with the Padres. While the Padres likely didn't expect to consider these players on the Opening Day roster entering spring training, there's suddenly a good chance they're with the team come March 26.

Here’s more information on these stories and all the latest Padres news (click the headline for the full article):

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

Padres Tabbed as Top Landing Spot for $6.1 Million All-Star in Blockbuster Trade

3 Padres Players Suddenly Making a Strong Push for the Opening Day Roster

Former Padres Top Prospect, Cut After Gambling Scandal, Signs With Kansas City Monarchs

Surprise Padres Pitcher Inserting Himself Into Opening Day Roster Conversation

Padres' Walker Buehler Compares His Fastball to Ex-Girlfriend

Padres Tweets of the Day

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Noah Camras
NOAH CAMRAS

Noah Camras graduated from the University of Southern California in 2022 with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in sports media studies. He was born and raised in Los Angeles and has extensively covered Southern California sports in his career. Noah is the publisher of Padres on SI after contributing as a writer and editor over the last three years.

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