PEORIA, Ariz. — Joe Musgrove walked away from his first spring training game on March 4 feeling good.
He expected to pitch again in five or six days. But he also said that his schedule would be something of an unknown going forward, dependent on how his elbow felt as he continues to work back from Tommy John surgery.
So here we are.
Musgrove has thrown one time in the bullpen since that start, and there is no telling when his next start will be.
“Just trying to manage it,” he said Tuesday morning. “Kind of relying on the training staff to help lay out a program for me and a plan. Kind of following their lead. Right now, I’m just kind of day to day until I feel like I’m ready to take the mound. And when I tell them I’m good, we’ll be ready to go.”
There has been no suggestion that Musgrove will not be part of the rotation at the start of the season. But uncertainty is an inherent part of the process. And with opening day just more than two weeks away, it will take him getting on the mound in a game fairly soon for him to not miss at least a start at the beginning of the season.
At this point, however, this news is neither insignificant nor horrible. It is a reminder that there is no telling what is ahead for Musgrove, who did not pitch last season after having his UCL repaired in October 2024.
“It’s (a step) back to move forward,” pitching coach Ruben Niebla said. “It might not be the last time we do it.”
Musgrove described his arm in terms of being tired.
“It feels like I had surgery,” he said.
Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres takes the field before their spring training game against Great Britain at the Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in Peoria, Ariz. (Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
His 60 pitches on March 4 against Great Britain were the most he has thrown in a single session and came in his first game in a stadium with thousands of people watching and hitters wearing a different uniform. He downplayed the magnitude in the moment. But there is no denying the adrenaline and exertion was at a higher level than any time in his rehab.
“A lot of pitches,” he said. “First time facing hitters again. That intensity of snapping off breaking balls.”
Musgrove being healthy and pitching well all season is somewhere between an expectation and a hope for the Padres.
Plenty of pitchers have returned from Tommy John surgery and been excellent while pitching 150 or more innings. Some have been just OK while handling a large workload like that. Some have taken more time to get back to their previous form, and others have never quite been as good again.
Musgrove’s history of performing well and working through maladies bolsters the Padres’ confidence.
Pulling back the reins now is something they were practically anticipating.
“We talked about it two months ago, three months ago, last year,” Niebla said.
There is no set day for Musgrove to throw his next bullpen or start in a game.
“We’ll evaluate him every single day and then make a decision after that,” manager Craig Stammen said regarding the plan for Musgrove. “… Sometimes you just come out of a game or come out of a bullpen, and it’s just a little cranky and you’re like, ‘I need a couple extra days and just a little bit of a breather — recalibrate, start all over again and get back to it. But it won’t be too long. It’s just something in the best interest for him and then the best interest for our team, so that we can get him pitching when it matters most. We’re thinking about getting him through the entire season, not just getting him to opening day.”
Musgrove acknowledged being in limbo was “a little bit” unsettling.
“But I also know that this is kind of what’s expected — not with everybody, but it’s very common to have some of these struggles early on and good days, bad days,” he said. “I just want to make sure I’m continuing to move forward. Whether that’s taking a few days here and picking back up when I’m ready, I’m willing to do that to be able to continue to push the ball forward and be ready. … I didn’t expect to have this smooth sailing all the way through and never have any issues with it. Obviously, I would have loved to feel great and never have any setbacks, but I’m at peace with it and I was ready for it. And mentally, I’m in a good spot. Just trying to manage it all.”