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Padres' Joe Musgrove: Shows good velocity in exhibition
Rotowire
Musgrove completed two innings in an exhibition game against Team Great Britain on Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out three batters.
Musgrove's outing was his first game action since he underwent Tommy John surgery in October of 2024. The veteran hurler had a rough beginning, giving up a run on three singles and a walk while retiring just one batter before being pulled, but a couple of the hits came on rough defensive plays and -- more importantly -- Musgrove sat at 94-95 mph on his fastball, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Under exhibition rules, the right-hander returned for the second frame and retired three of the four batters he faced and then set down two of three hitters in the third inning before exiting for good. Altogether, Musgrove threw a hearty 60 pitches (36 strikes), which is certainly promising for a pitcher coming off such a long absence. He's slated to be a key part of San Diego's rotation in 2026 and isn't expected to have strict workload limitations.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Starting exhibition game Wednesday
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) will start Wednesday's exhibition game against Team Great Britain, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Musgrove will be making his first appearance in a game setting since his October 2024 Tommy John surgery. The veteran right-hander has been throwing off the mound throughout Padres camp, most recently tossing three innings in a simulated game last week. Musgrove was sidelined for the entirety of the 2025 campaign, but he will not have strict workload limitations in 2026.
Musgrove (elbow) touched 95 mph with his fastball in a three-inning simulated game Thursday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Working his way back from Tommy John surgery, Musgrove threw 36 pitches in the outing and was pleased with how things went, saying afterward that, "I'm coming out of this feeling the best I have felt." The veteran righty said that things are "kind of all day-to-day" with his rehab based on how he feels, but he expects to make his first Cactus League start next week. Musgrove missed all of the 2025 season but will not have a strict workload limit in 2026, with Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla saying their approach with the 33-year-old is, "full-go but watch him."
Musgrove (elbow) is considered a full participant in Padres camp but will have his workload watched early in the season after missing the entirety of the 2025 campaign, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Musgrove is coming back from Tommy John surgery but will not have a strict innings limit in 2026 in his age-33 season. The Padres will be sensible about how hard they push him early on, however, and an initial six-man rotation is one avenue they're considering. Musgrove boasts a 3.20 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 25.5 percent strikeout rate and 6.1 percent walk rate in his four seasons with the Padres.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: No strict innings cap in 2026
Rotowire
Padres manager Craig Stammen said Tuesday on Foul Territory that Musgrove (elbow) will not have a strict innings limit in 2026.
Musgrove missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery but has been throwing bullpen sessions since August. Stammen noted that while the Padres will keep a close eye on how Musgrove is feeling after each start, the team will take the righty "as far as he's willing to go" with his workload. After topping 180 innings in 2021 and 2022, Musgrove threw 97.1 innings in 2023 and 99.2 innings in 2024. It would be a big ask for the 33-year-old to get back to the 180-inning plateau in 2026, but it sounds like the Padres would allow him to get to that level as long as he feels good.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Completes 'up-down' bullpen session
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) threw an "up-down" bullpen session at Citi Field on Tuesday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Musgrove essentially completed a two-inning simulated game, albeit without facing hitters. He threw approximately 15 pitches, then rested for a bit before tossing another 15 pitches. The right-hander -- who underwent Tommy John surgery Oct. 11, 2024 -- remains hopeful that he'll be able to contribute out of the San Diego bullpen in the playoffs, though he's not on pace to be ready to go for the wild-card round. With that in mind, the Padres may need to make a deep postseason run for Musgrove to achieve his goal, and even in that scenario, he may not be trusted with pitching high-leverage innings coming off a major injury. The Padres' main focus remains in ensuring that Musgrove enters spring training at full health and is able to break camp as a member of the Opening Day rotation.
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