The San Diego Padres enter the 2023 MLB season with a ton of promise. They defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers and made a stunning run to the NLCS, all without Fernando Tatis Jr. Unfortunately, pitcher Joe Musgrove sustained a bizarre toe injury after dropping a dumbbell on his foot, and his status to start the season remains murky.
However, there is a positive update on Musgrove's status, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
“Joe Musgrove threw off flat ground for the first time today. Not landing on his left foot yet. (He’s keeping both feet rooted to the ground.) But he’s still putting weight through that left big toe, and said everything felt normal/good.”
This is terrific news for the Padres and Musgrove, who inked a five-year, $100 million extension to remain in San Diego. In 2022, Musgrove went 10-7 with a 2.93 ERA and was a staple in the Padres rotation, and who can forget Musgrove making franchise history by throwing the first no-hitter in franchise history in 2021?
Padres manager Bob Melvin admitted that they could start the year with a 6-man rotation depending on Musgrove's return, and with Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, and Nick Martinez, they have the pieces to sustain until Musgrove returns.
The initial timeframe was 4-to-6 weeks, so that would mean he is out for Opening Day, but this latest update shows that Musgrove might be able to defy the odds and make his return when the 2023 season begins.
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