San Diego Padres veteran right-hander Joe Musgrove is officially slated to make his highly anticipated return to the mound this Wednesday in an exhibition matchup against Great Britain, per Padres beat reporter AJ Cassavell. The start would represent Musgrove's first live-game action since exiting the October 2024 Wild Card series with a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery and kept him out for the following campaign.
The former All-Star has reportedly looked exceptionally sharp in spring training, recently tossing three innings in a simulated game. He is currently also slated to be a part of the rotation at the start of the 2026 season.
“Joe is gonna pitch against Great Britain on Wednesday. He’s doing really well. Every time I watch him throw I’m expecting his stuff to be down a tick, and it hasn’t been. It’s almost been a little bit better. I know he’s excited to get back on the mound. He’s gotten over a few humps on the backfields and now ready to take it against some other competition,” San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen said last Monday, per Sports Illustrated.
Musgrove's healthy return is especially huge for a Padres rotation desperately searching for top-end stability. Before his elbow injuries and subsequent UCL tear in 2024, he managed a respectable 3.88 ERA, a 1.17 WHIP, and 101 strikeouts over 99.2 innings across 19 starts.
Seen as one of the best pitchers in franchise history, he signed a five-year, $100 million extension following a 2022 campaign that boasted a 2.93 ERA over 30 starts. Entering 2026, Musgrove projects to slot in alongside Michael King and Nick Pivetta at the top of the rotation.
With back-end competitors like Matt Waldron facing their own health setbacks, San Diego needs Musgrove to emerge as at least a rotation option for the new season. While there is no concern over his talent and ability, both of the last two campaigns have been marred by injury, and fans will hope that does not prove to be the case in 2026.
