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The San Diego Padres aren't at full health to begin the 2023 season, and a key player that they are currently without in the majors is starting pitcher Joe Musgrove. Musgrove suffered a toe injury during Spring Training when he dropped a weight on his foot, and has been working his way back to full health ever since.
Initially, Musgrove believed that he could be ready in time for the start of the regular season, but those hopes ended up being dashed. Musgrove did make his first rehab start on Thursday night, going 4.1 innings for the El Paso Chihuahuas, but he wasn't at his best, hitting three batters and giving up two runs along the way. Padres manager Bob Melvin said that Musgrove will likely require one more rehab start before making his way back to the majors as a result of his rusty initial rehab outing.
Via Dennis Lin:
“Bob Melvin said Joe Musgrove probably will need one more rehab outing after going 4.1 innings and 85 pitches for El Paso last night. Musgrove also hit three batters. ‘He felt a little rusty, I think,' Melvin said.”
San Diego is anxiously awaiting the return of Musgrove, who has turned himself into a top-of-the-line starter during his time with the Padres. Musgrove earned his first All-Star selection in 2022 (10-7, 2.93 ERA, 184 K, 1.08 WHIP) and has become one of San Diego's most consistent pitchers during his two seasons with them. While he likely isn't going to be happy to miss more time, it looks like Musgrove is still one rehab start away from making his debut in the majors for the Padres this season.
