Yes, it’s Joe Musgrove—spikes scraping against the cement, glove in hand, walking between fields at the Peoria Sports Complex.
That’s just so Joe Musgrove.
Though he won’t be able to play catch until late March or throw off a mound until at least July, and his return to game action remains uncertain, Musgrove’s presence is still felt. Four months removed from Tommy John surgery, he may be sidelined from playing, but he is far from absent.
“Joe being out is going to hurt,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “But Joe is not out. He just isn’t able to perform on the mound this year. He’s still an integral part of our clubhouse and leadership group.”
Musgrove plans to stay with the Padres throughout the season—at home, on the road, and in the dugout—whenever possible. There will be occasional absences for doctor’s appointments or when the realities of being close to the game but unable to play become too much. But his commitment to the team remains unwavering.
It matters deeply to him.
“I see how some guys are when they’re on the injured list, especially key players and leaders,” Musgrove said. “When those guys aren’t around or they’re just hanging out in the clubhouse during games, not really engaged, it feels like they’re in vacation mode. That kind of pisses me off. You’re still part of the team. I’ve seen players who couldn’t play for a year, but their energy and involvement never wavered. They stayed locked in, like it was game time every day, and that lifted everyone around them, including me when I was younger. I want to be that presence.”
It clearly matters.
Just a day earlier, across the Padres clubhouse, relief pitcher Jeremiah Estrada reflected on how much he enjoyed his first season with the team in 2024—and his praise began with Joe Musgrove.
“Seeing the way Joe is as a teammate, how he takes care of guys, how he leads the team,” Estrada said. “I love this team. These are my brothers. If I were on another team, I’d be like, ‘It’s cool here, but I miss Joe.’”
Last summer, starting pitcher Michael King was struck by Musgrove’s commitment to traveling with the team during nearly every road trip despite being on the injured list.
“I had no idea what kind of leader Joe Musgrove was,” King said. “Having him around, caring enough to travel and help us, it’s been amazing.”
Musgrove grew into his leadership role after joining the Padres in 2021. Before last season, he decided that even though he didn’t pitch every game as a starter, his voice and presence were just as important as any position player’s.
“That’s who he is,” Jake Cronenworth said of Musgrove’s plan to stay with the team this season. “It’s really important to him to be there. Even if he’s not pitching every fifth day, his presence matters.”
Musgrove’s absence from the rotation leaves a significant void for the Padres. Over the past four seasons, his 37 wins and 559⅓ innings in 98 games (97 starts) rank second on the team behind Yu Darvish (39 wins, 579 innings). His 3.20 ERA is the second-lowest in franchise history for pitchers with at least 72 starts, trailing only Dave Dravecky (119 starts from 1982-87).
In 2024, Musgrove endured two stints on the IL due to elbow issues, finishing with a 3.88 ERA over 19 starts (99⅔ innings). His second IL stay, from late May to mid-August, allowed him to rework his delivery to reduce stress on his elbow. He returned on Aug. 12 with 4⅓ scoreless innings, followed by another 4⅓-inning start with just one run allowed. In his third start back, Musgrove delivered seven shutout innings of one-hit baseball, kicking off a seven-start stretch with a 2.38 ERA and six quality starts. Aside from a rough inning against the Giants on Sept. 8, where he allowed six runs in a seven-batter span, he gave up just five runs across 41⅔ innings during that stretch.
Remarkably, Musgrove pitched through that period with an ulnar collateral ligament that he admitted was “barely hanging on.” Despite being advised by two doctors on three separate occasions over the past two years to undergo Tommy John surgery, Musgrove resisted.
“I just didn’t feel like I needed it,” he said.
Last September, Joe Musgrove pushed through the pain, recovering between starts, using pain medicine, and getting hyped up to pitch again.
“Ultimately, my job is to pitch,” Musgrove said. “I’m on a contract, so I’m not going to sit around and wait. I know my elbow’s going to go; it’s just a matter of time. So, I wasn’t going to just sit by. If my arm goes, it goes.”
Pitching coach Ruben Niebla and the Padres’ catchers kept a close eye on Musgrove when he was on the mound. In his final regular-season start, Musgrove gave up two runs on five hits over 6 ⅔ innings at Dodger Stadium. As he prepared for his next start against the Braves in the wild-card series, things were especially tough.
“Niebla knew I was in a really bad spot,” Musgrove recalled. “I told him to keep an eye on me. Every day, I said, ‘I’m good, I’m good.’ But on start day, I told him, ‘I don’t know how good I am. I’ll give you what I can, but keep an eye on my velocity and my stuff.’ We checked in every inning.”
Musgrove pitched through the game, but by his last inning, he knew it might be his final one for a while. In the fourth inning, after a slower fastball and curveballs, catcher Kyle Higashioka visited the mound, followed by Shildt and athletic trainer Ben Fraser.
Nine days later, Musgrove had Tommy John surgery, a procedure that typically keeps pitchers out for 11 to 18 months. Returning within a year is rare, and fewer than two dozen pitchers have done it in Major League Baseball.
For now, Musgrove is focused on fielding practice, but he feels good. “I could throw right now,” he said, flexing his arm to show off his range of motion. “I feel like I’m ahead of schedule. I’m in a really good spot for having another month and a half before I can throw.”
Musgrove is following his rehab plan carefully, pushing only as far as needed for peace of mind. “I’m not going to do something stupid,” he assured. “I’ve been really careful about it. I know I’m about a month and a half away from really getting going, and I haven’t had any setbacks yet. The last thing I want to do is mess up the recovery.”
Musgrove will work with Padres physical therapist Scott Hacker instead of staying at the team’s complex in Arizona, but he knows the challenge of recovery will be tough.
“Being out is the hardest part,” he said. “Watching what I’m missing, it’s stressful. Sometimes, I’ll need to take a weekend off, come here, reset, clear my head, and come back.”
Musgrove has set a goal, one that he knows is ambitious, but he believes it’s achievable. He estimates that he’ll be ready to throw off the mound in a bullpen session for six to eight weeks before facing hitters in September.
“So when postseason comes around, I’ll be fully healthy,” he said. “I’ll be back to throwing to hitters. It’s just about whether I can get built up enough to start a game. There are a lot of things working against me, but I feel good. I’m not trying to be a hero, but I’m giving it every chance. If I’m not ready a month from now, I’m not going to push it. But I’ve got my sights set on October.”