San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove made his long-awaited return to the mound on Monday. Musgrove had been out since May while recovering from inflammation and triceps tendinitis caused by a bone spur in his right elbow.
In Musgrove's first game back, he pitched 4.1 scoreless, two-hit innings as the Padres got a critical 2-1 victory of the Pittsburgh Pirates. After the win, Padres third baseman Manny Machado spoke to 97.3 The Fan about what Musgrove's return means to the Padres.
“Just having him out there was a huge presence for us as a ball club,” Machado said. “To see him healthy is great for this team. He threw the ball well as well. Having him back out there healthy is going to be a big part of this team and this rotation.”
Machado is absolutely right. If the Padres, who are one of the hottest teams in baseball, want to continue on their path and assert themselves as true postseason contenders, they'll need a fully healthy Musgrove pitching like he did the past three seasons.
What Joe Musgrove's return means for the Pades
Musgrove's return couldn't have come at a better time for the Padres. San Diego has won 17 of their last 20 and is the hottest team in baseball. They've catapulted themselves into the NL West race, currently tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for second in the division and 3 1/2 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers. With Yu Darvish remaining out for the time being on the restricted list due to personal reasons, the Padres desperately needed a boost in the rotation to keep up their incredible run of form.
Even though Musgrove started out the season poorly before getting injured, recording a 6.37 ERA through his first eight starts, he's still a key part of the Padres' rotation. Musgrove, who was an All-Star in 2022, has had his ERA hover around 3.00 the last three seasons and has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball. Even though Musgrove did not pitch very deep into Monday's game, he looked more like the pitcher Padres fans have come to know rather than the one who struggled to begin this year.
The Padres made it clear at the deadline that they are going all-in on this season, making a flurry of trades highlighted by acquiring All-Star reliever Tanner Scott from the Miami Marlins. With Musgrove back in the fold, their ceiling is significantly higher.
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