The Padres are charging into their weekend series at Petco Park against the Colorado Rockies with strong momentum. Since the All-Star break, San Diego has been on a 9-2 run, with all but three games against top-ranked teams. They’re hitting their stride at a crucial time in the season, though there’s some uncertainty surrounding their starting pitching rotation.
While general manager A.J. Preller has skillfully revamped the bullpen into one of the league’s best with significant trade deadline moves, the only new starter added is Martin Perez, who is set to make his debut for San Diego on Saturday night against the Rockies.
The team might be banking on the return of Joe Musgrove, who could be a key midseason addition. Musgrove, sidelined for a couple of months due to a bone spur in his elbow, reports significant improvement.
“I’m throwing pretty freely right now. I’m not overly concerned about hesitation in my delivery,” Musgrove said. “But, of course, it could flare up at any moment, so I’m being cautious.”
Musgrove is scheduled for a minor league rehab start on Sunday, aiming to throw 45-50 pitches. Depending on how that goes, he might make one more rehab start or rejoin the major league team for the final stretch of the season.
“It’s frustrating watching from the sidelines while the team performs so well,” Musgrove admitted. “I want to be part of it and contribute, so I’m doing everything I can to return.”
Musgrove hopes to pitch at least five innings in the majors upon his return and acknowledges that with the recent bullpen upgrades, he won’t need to pitch deep into games immediately.
