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Padres' Joe Musgrove: Likely to require one more rehab start
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) is expected to make one final minor-league rehab start this week before returning from the 60-day injured list, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Musgrove made the fourth start of his rehab assignment this past Thursday for Triple-A El Paso, tossing 60 pitches over five innings and striking out three batters while allowing one run on five hits and no walks. Overall, the right-hander owns a 4.60 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB in 15.2 innings between three starts with El Paso and one with Single-A Lake Elsinore. Though he looks like he'll require one more tune-up outing in the minors, Musgrove should soon be poised to make his first appearance for the Padres since Sept. 26, 2024. He missed all of the 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and has been on the shelf throughout 2026 after experiencing a setback with his surgically repaired elbow following an exhibition game back in March.
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Padres' Joe Musgrove: Making next rehab start Thursday
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) will make his next rehab start Thursday at Triple-A El Paso, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
As anticipated, Musgrove will need to make another start in the minors before being activated from the 60-day injured list. He fired 70 pitches during his previous rehab outing Aug. 14, so he'll presumably build on that count Thursday in what should be his final appearance on the farm. If all goes according to plan, he'll be lined up to make his first big-league appearance since 2024 during the first week of September.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Likely to need another rehab start
Rotowire
Padres manager Craig Stammen said that Musgrove (elbow) will throw a bullpen session this weekend before likely making a final minor-league rehab start during the upcoming week, 97.3 The Fan San Diego reports.
Musgrove most recently made his third rehab start Aug. 14 with Triple-A El Paso, striking out five while allowing five earned runs on nine hits and one walk. Though Musgrove built up to 70 pitches in that outing and looked like he might have been ready to return from the 60-day injured list at some point this week to make his 2026 Padres debut, Stammen revealed that the right-hander "had a little back issue pop up" during a recent workout. Fortunately for Musgrove, the back issue isn't viewed as a major concern, and he hasn't incurred any setbacks with his surgically repaired elbow since beginning his rehab assignment Aug. 4. Assuming his back responds well to the bullpen session, Musgrove should be in line for a sizable workload in his upcoming minor-league appearance before joining the San Diego rotation immediately thereafter for what would be his first big-league outing since Sept. 26, 2024.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Reaches 70 pitches in rehab start
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) allowed five earned runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out five across 4.2 innings Friday in his rehab start with Triple-A El Paso.
Though he was knocked around in the third start of his rehab assignment, Musgrove built up to 70 pitches and 95.2 mph with his fastball. According to MLB.com, Padres manager Craig Stammen said Musgrove was "very positive" about how he felt during Friday's outing, but a decision has yet to be made regarding whether he'll require another rehab start or return from the 60-day injured list to make his first big-league appearance since Sept. 26, 2024. If Musgrove ends up entering the rotation during the Padres' upcoming weekend series with the Twins, he would likely be operating with a limited pitch count.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Throws 53 pitches in rehab start
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) completed 3.1 innings in a minor-league rehab appearance with Triple-A El Paso on Sunday, allowing one run on six hits and no walks while striking out two batters.
It was Musgrove's second rehab outing as he sets his sights on pitching for the big-league club for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of 2024. The veteran right-hander tossed 39 pitches in his first rehab start Aug. 4, so he's gradually building up his pitch count in preparation for a return to a spot in San Diego's rotation. Musgrove is likely to need at least one more rehab outing before being activated, but he could be back with the Padres by the end of August, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
Padres' Joe Musgrove: Completes 39-pitch rehab start
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) struck out three and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks across 2.2 innings in a rehab start Tuesday at Single-A Lake Elsinore.
Musgrove tossed 39 pitches in the appearance, his first in the majors or minors since Sept. 26, 2024. The right-hander was deemed fully recovered from his October 2024 Tommy John surgery heading into spring training, but he experienced a setback after pitching in an exhibition game in early March. Musgrove made limited progress in the first few months following the setback but appeared to turn a corner in June and has now reached the final step of his lengthy recovery process. He'll likely continue to build on his workload over at least two or three more rehab starts before potentially slotting into the San Diego rotation at some point during the final two weeks of August.
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Padres' Joe Musgrove: Ready to kick off rehab assignment
Rotowire
Musgrove (elbow) is slated to make a rehab appearance for Single-A Lake Elsinore on Tuesday.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2024 and then suffering a setback in the spring when he experienced inflammation in his right elbow, Musgrove finally appears to be closing in on making his first appearance for the Padres in just under two years. Along with Musgrove, Nick Pivetta (forearm) -- who has been on the shelf since April 14 -- is also scheduled to kick off his rehab assignment Tuesday with Lake Elsinore. Given the length of his absence, Musgrove is expected to need most of his 30-day rehab window to get fully stretched out for a spot in the San Diego rotation, so he may not be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list until late August or early September.
Musgrove (elbow) threw 23 pitches in live batting practice Friday, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Friday's session was shorter than the 30-to-40-pitch bullpen session he logged last Friday, but it still marks a significant step forward, as it's the first time he's faced live hitters since spring training. He's scheduled to throw against hitters again sometime next week and will likely do so a few more times before beginning an extended rehab assignment.
Padres manager Craig Stammen said that Musgrove (elbow) threw approximately 30-to-40 pitches in a two-inning simulated bullpen session Friday at the organization's complex in Arizona, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Stammen said Musgrove came out of the session feeling healthy, but the veteran right-hander still has several checkpoints to hit in the rehab process before getting cleared to make his 2026 debut. Musgrove missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from the Tommy John surgery that he underwent the previous October, then dealt with cartilage issues this spring that have continued to keep him on the shelf throughout the campaign. After months of limited progress, Musgrove seems to have turned a corner in his recovery, but he'll likely need at least another month to finish out his throwing progression and complete an extended rehab assignment before making his return from the 60-day injured list.
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