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The San Diego Padres announced news regarding pitcher Joe Musgrove

The San Diego Padres are in the middle of a rough stretch. The Padres have not won any of their last three series, and find themselves behind the Giants after the first game of the series. 

Their star hitters have yet to truly get hot this year,as evidenced by Fernando Tatis Jr. not hitting a home run all season. The Padres are also not helped by their team ERA, which currently ranks 18th in MLB, and unfortunately it does not appear they will be getting much-needed reinforcements soon.

San Diego Padres Pitcher Joe Musgrove Update

The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee shared that the San Diego Padres recently been distributing weekly medical updates. Regarding the status of pitchers Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta, the Padres have said they are, “continuing active rest for the next several weeks.”

Acee wrote:

“Essentially, this means they are conditioning, getting treatment and not throwing.

The Padres do expect both will pitch again this season. But it won’t be anytime soon. Perhaps some time after the All-Star break.

Not that either would be rushed back if the circumstances were different, but the Padres believe it best serves the pitchers and the team to give them ample time to recover and potentially be able to help in a postseason push.

Musgrove’s issue involves the bones and cartilage in his elbow, which has caused inflammation and discomfort. Imaging and consultations with multiple doctors have confirmed the graft from his Tommy John surgery is intact.”

The previous update regarding Musgrove had indicated that he might be available to the Padres in mid-May, but that timeline now seems unrealistic.

Musgrove has not had a fully healthy season since 2022, as he fell short of 100 innings pitched in 2023 and 2024. Despite his lingering health issues, Musgrove has been effective when he has been on the mound as he has a 16-8 record and a 3.47 ERA since 2023.

San Diego Padres Rotation

Fortunately, the San Diego Padres got a boost to their rotation with the return of free agent signing Griffin Canning, who pitched five innings on Sunday against the White Sox, in which he allowed only one run while registering seven strikeouts.

Regarding Canning’s performance, manager Craig Stammen said after the game, “I think this is what we expected when we signed him — that he had the potential to be someone that we could rely on and count on and get quality starts consistently through the season. He’s coming off a major injury. There’s bound to be hiccups. But he’s off to a good start, and we feel very confident about him going forward.”

Additionally, the Padres will likely get the return of starter Lucas Giolito soon, as he has to be called up by May 16. In the meantime, the Padres will probably give Matt Waldron another start despite his early struggles. In three starts, Waldron has posted a 9.88 ERA, as he has allowed 15 runs in 13.2 innings this season. Waldron’s strikeout rate is also the lowest of his career, while his walk rate is the highest. Had Germán Márquez not gone on the injured list, Waldron may not have had a spot in the rotation after Canning’s return.