Musgrove returns from injury to start against Great Britain
San Diego Padres veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove should officially be back on the mound this Wednesday in an exhibition match against Great Britain, Per Padres beat reporter AJ Cassavell. The start would mark Musgrove’s first live game action since exiting the October 2024 Wild Card Series with a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery and kept him sidelined the next campaign.
The former All-Star reportedly looked extremely sharp in spring trainingrecently pitching three innings in a simulated game. He is also currently slated to be part of the rotation at the start of the 2026 season.
“Joe is going to play against Great Britain on Wednesday. He’s doing really well. Every time I watch him pitch, I expect his stuff to be down, and it wasn’t. It was almost a little bit better. I know he’s excited to get back on the mound. He’s overcome a few mistakes and now he’s ready to play against the Suns” Padres Manager Craig Stamen he said last Mondayaccording to Sports Illustrated.
Musgrove’s healthy return is especially huge for a Padres rotation desperate for top-end stability. Before his elbow injury and subsequent UCL tear in 2024, he managed a respectable 3.88 ERA, 1.17 VHIP and 101 strikeouts in 99.2 innings over 19 starts.
Considered one of the best pitchers in franchise history, he signed a five-year, $100 million extension after a 2022 campaign that featured a 2.93 ERA in 30 starts. Entering 2026, Musgrove projects to find himself alongside Michael King and Nick Pivetta at the top of the rotation.
With cornerbacks like Matt Waldron dealing with their own health issues, San Diego needs Musgrove to emerge as at least a rotation option for the new season. While there are no concerns about his talent and ability, both of the last two campaigns have been marred by injury and fans will be hoping that doesn’t show in 2026.
2026-03-02 19:05:00
