San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove will probably begin the 2026 campaign on the injured list after missing all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery.
"Yeah, he's most likely going to start on the IL this year," manager Craig Stammen told reporters Monday.
"We're getting to the point where he's taken enough time off that it'll be hard to ramp him up to be a viable starter that can throw five innings, 90 pitches."
Craig Stammen on Joe Musgrove:
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 16, 2026
“He’s most likely going to start on the IL this year…this was part of the plan, we knew he was going to have to take some time off…we knew we were going to have to get him ready for the entire season, and not just Opening Day.” pic.twitter.com/9E9Lqz4DZI
Stammen said the Padres wanted to be smart about Musgrove's recovery, and he would prefer that the pitcher be available later in the season. The skipper added that he feels comfortable with the Padres' pitching depth.
Musgrove has only pitched in one exhibition game this spring. Facing Great Britain's WBC team, the 33-year-old lasted two innings and threw 60 pitches. However, he didn't recover well from the outing, according to The Athletic's Dennis Lin.
Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2024. Before missing the 2025 campaign, Musgrove posted a 3.20 ERA and 9.4 K/9 for the Padres in 559 1/3 innings across four seasons. The California native threw a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers on April 9, 2021.
