The Padres have Nick Pivetta back in the starting rotation and he pitched five two-hit, shutout innings Monday during his first start since April 12 because of a flexor strain in his right elbow.
But the news on Joe Musgrove is increasingly dreary.
Musgrove has been shut down again in his comeback from the reconstructive right elbow surgery he underwent 23 months ago. Musgrove may now be fighting for his career, the right-hander acknowledged to Times of San Diego last weekend in the Padres clubhouse at Petco Park.
“That’s a little aggressive to say that, but I am under contract for next year,” Musgrove said. “So, I’m in a hard position of trying to fight and push through right now trying to pitch this year without doing so much damage that it puts me out for next year.”
Musgrove has a year to go on a five-year, $100 million contract that pays him $20 million a season. He has missed almost two full seasons since he last actively pitched in Game 2 of a National League Wild Card Series against the Braves on Oct. 2, 2024. He worked into the fourth inning and came out of the game. Only days later, the club made the stunning announcement that Musgrove would have Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.
He sat in the dugout while talking to the media and broke down in tears at the prospect. He had the surgery on Oct. 11, 2024, but it was a lot more extensive than initially thought, as he told this reporter in July.
“I had a flexor, I had bone spurs, I had a microfracture, I had Tommy John. So, they did a lot of work in there,” Musgrove said back then. “It changed the structure of the elbow itself. The way I used to move and throw created new pain where it didn’t before. So, it was a lot of trauma, and a lot of stuff was done outside of just fixing the ligament and getting out of there.”
Where Musgrove’s rehab stands
Here’s where he is now: after months of recovery and some rehab starts, he can’t extend his forearm from the elbow for days after he pitches, which makes it impossible to throw a baseball, Musgrove said, demonstrating the condition.
“Yeah, I lose a lot of flexion and extension to the point where I’m just stuck in this range,” he said. “It’s like a frozen elbow. Without the ability to extend it I just can’t physically throw. Over time and a couple of days and I can get some tissue work and rest, it gets back to where I have pretty close to regular flexion and extension.”
Musgrove throws, but then the pattern repeats itself over and over again as the elbow locks up. The Padres and their medical staff can’t tell him why it happens.
“I’m not sure why it’s happening and how to fix it,” he said. “We’re kind of attacking it from every angle. I’ve been in this position for a while now.”
What’s a while?
“About a year,” he added.
This all helps explain the starts and stops Musgrove’s been experiencing since the recovery journey began on the mound this past spring. The usual recovery from Tommy John surgery, to replace a ligament which is the size of a thread and has the texture of a rubber band, is 12 to 18 months.
But Musgrove obviously didn’t have the usual surgery.
He made his first start of spring training on March 4 in an exhibition game against Great Britain, which was preparing for the World Baseball Classic.
He worked into the third inning, threw 60 pitches and reached 95 miles per hour. A few days later during a routine bullpen session he felt some pain and the Padres shut him down. He’s back to six innings and 70 pitches at full velocity, but then the elbow locks, shutting him down again.
It’s no wonder why he might feel that at 33 next season, his career might be in jeopardy.
“At this point I’m just looking for any sign I might be able to throw,” Musgrove said. “Whether it’s a two- or three-inning duration rather than six or seven. See if that’s any better recovery-wise. But no one really has a great answer right now. We’re looking at it from different angles and different stuff. But we’ve on this path for a while now.”
At this point the Padres have no choice except to move forward without him. There are 16 games left and a National League Wild Card playoff berth on the line. They lead the D-backs by a half game for the third and final spot, but the Cubs, 2 1/2 games ahead of them, are still within reach.
With Pivetta’s return, the Padres starting rotation for the stretch run, and possibly the playoffs, is in its best shape of the season. They already have Michael King and Walker Buehler followed by trade deadline acquisitions Casey Mize and Robbie Ray. Randy Vasquez, who’s been effective as a starter, is now pitching out of a solid bullpen, in lieu of Pivetta.
There’s no room for Musgrove, anyway. He knows it’s time to look at reality.
“I’m in a (bad) spot right now,” he said. “I’ve done everything I absolutely can to get this right. I’ve followed all the rest protocols. I’ve done all the rehab, worked the extracurricular physical therapy, talked to people who might give me a different approach or technique.
“Things have helped along the way, but nothing has given me a consistent, clear path to getting back.”
