Joe Musgrove Fantasy Stats

The San Diego Union-Tribune's Jeff Sanders reports that although San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) has resumed playing catch, there is no timeline for him to rejoin the team's starting rotation to make his 2026 debut. The last time Musgrove threw off a mound was when he delivered 60 pitches in an exhibition game against Great Britain on March 4 due to a setback with his right elbow after having Tommy John surgery in October of 2024. Musgrove didn't pitch at all for the Padres last year. The good news is that an MRI exam didn't show anything concerning. Still, he needs to build up to bullpen sessions before eventually going on a minor-league rehab assignment. Given where Musgrove is in his throwing program, we'd be surprised if the Padres get the 33-year-old veteran back in April. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller didn't have a good answer for when Musgrove might be back, but he doesn't think it will be months out, either. Fantasy managers stashing Musgrove in deeper leagues will need to be patient early this year.

San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) is expected to open the 2026 regular season on the injured list, manager Craig Stammen told Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Musgrove did not recover as well as hoped after his March 4 start against Great Britain for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, and he hasn't thrown in a little more than a week in spring training. The 33-year-old veteran had Tommy John surgery in October of 2024 and didn't pitch at all for the Padres last year. He threw 60 pitches over two-plus innings against Great Britain on March 4, but he has since been shut down from throwing after his latest bullpen on March 8. The Padres have described Musgrove's issue as a "cranky" arm and noted that they expected some bumps in the road in his return to big-league action. "I don't expect to make 180, 200 innings (this season), but I expect to be able to take the ball consistently throughout the year and be productive," Musgrove said. He's become a pretty risky starting pitcher option in fantasy in 2026 and is not in RotoBaller's top-100 starting pitchers.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) is currently working his way back from Tommy John surgery he underwent in October of 2024. He didn't pitch at all in 2025, and his last time on the mound was against Team Great Britain in an exhibition game. Ahead of Thursday's game, Padres manager Craig Stammen said Musgrove is nearing a return, but is in "a bit of a holding pattern" right now. It sounds like the organization is waiting for Musgrove to get over the hump before they ramp up his activities. Stammen didn't hint at Musgrove not being ready for Opening Day, but given his recent activities, it's hard to imagine he'll be ready by then. Fantasy managers should still consider Musgrove a late-round option despite a possible delayed start to the season.

San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) will start in the team's exhibition against Team Great Britain on Wednesday, his first appearance in a game since his 2024 Tommy John surgery that October, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Musgrove didn't pitch at all for the Padres in 2025 as the results of his surgery, but he has worked his way all the way back and will be part of SD's Opening Day starting rotation. The 33-year-old is not expected to have any workload restrictions, but it's fair for fantasy managers to wonder how effective he'll be in 2026 in his return. Musgrove was a first-time All-Star back in 2022 with the Friars, when he went 10-7 with a career-best 2.93 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 184:42 K:BB in 181 innings (30 starts), but that was the last time he went over 100 innings in a season. Expecting him to return to that All-Star form in 2026 is a lot to ask, but Musgrove is definitely worth a late-round flier in fantasy drafts as rotation depth.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) was sharp in a simulated game early this week and is making a strong case to debut in spring training sometime next week. Musgrove is working his way back from Tommy John surgery but is slated to be a full-go for the start of the regular season. In this simulated game, Musgrove reached 95 MPH with his fastball and located his sinker and slider "very well." Earlier in the offseason, reports suggested that Musgrove would not face any major inning restriction, which is a great sign for his fantasy outlook. In 2024, Musgrove held a 3.8 ERA with a modest 1.17 WHIP. However, from 2021 through 2023, Musgrove held a strong 3.09 ERA with a dominant 1.09 WHIP. The 33-year-old carries solid sleeper appeal in all formats as he should take on a large role in the San Diego rotation.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Musgrove has been sidelined since October 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, but it sounds like he should be a full-go when the Padres report to Arizona next month. "I feel like I'm in a good position physically [and] mentally for the season," Musgrove said. Acee added that the veteran pitcher was preparing to be available for the NLCS if San Diego qualified, so the extra three months of recovery should only further verify that he's at full health. That's great news for the Padres and fantasy baseball managers. Musgrove projects to be the Padres' No. 3 starter, slotting in behind Michael King and Nick Pivetta. When he was last healthy in 2024, he pitched to a 3.74 xFIP with 9.12 K/9 and 2.08 BB/9 across 19 starts (99.2 innings). He hasn't pitched more than 100 innings since 2022, but the metrics from his last healthy campaign are very encouraging nonetheless. As it stands, Musgrove ranks as the #71 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.

San Diego Padres starting pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) will not have an innings limit placed on him during the 2026 season. Padres manager Craig Stammen appeared on the Foul Territory podcast and explained that the right-hander is in a "great spot" following his recovery from Tommy John surgery and noted that the team is not planning to put an innings limit on him. The 33-year-old has not been on the bump since the 2024 campaign. During that season, he logged 99 1/3 innings to the tune of a 3.88 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP. He struck out 101 hitters and showed above-average command, allowing walks at a 5.6% rate. However, he generated a rather high 4.31 xERA. Musgrove is worth closely monitoring in spring training. He has sleeper appeal in deeper formats, especially if he can return to his 2022 form when he held a strong 2.93 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP.

San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) threw an up-and-down bullpen session at Citi Field on Tuesday before the team's game against the New York Mets. Musgrove threw around 15 pitches in what amounted to a two-innings simulated game. The 32-year-old still has a ways to go, but he's hoping to be cleared to potentially work out of the team's bullpen in October if they make a deep run in the playoffs. He underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Oct. 11 of 2024 and has not pitched at all during the 2025 campaign, and even though he's ramping up his throwing program off a mound, he remains more of a long shot to return before spring training of 2026. Getting Musgrove back in the rotation next year would be a huge boost to the Padres' pitching staff, but it remains to be seen if he can return to his pre-injury form.

San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove (elbow) started playing catch in early April and has been throwing bullpen sessions since early August. It's still unlikely that Musgrove will pitch this year after recovering from Tommy John surgery to fix a torn UCL in his right elbow, but he's holding out hope that he can return as a reliever if the Padres make a deep playoff run in October, according to MLB.com. The 32-year-old veteran has been out all year after having TJ surgery on Oct. 11, 2024. The fact that Musgrove has yet to face live hitters doesn't bode well for his chances of pitching for the Padres before spring training of 2026. Musgrove was a first-time All-Star in 2022 in his second year in San Diego and was one of the most reliable starters in fantasy, but injuries in the last two seasons will make him a wild card in 2026 fantasy drafts next spring.

San Diego Padres right-handed pitcher Joe Musgrove (elbow) tossed his first bullpen since undergoing Tommy John surgery last October. He threw a handful of pitches at about 75% intensity and measured his fastball at around 80 mph. Both Musgrove and the training staff are happy with the results as he continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Barring any setbacks, the 32-year-old is expected to advance to full bullpen sessions in August. Before getting injured, he owned a 3.88 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and 103 strikeouts over 99 2/3 innings in 2024. Musgrove isn't likely to pitch for the Padres this season, but his offseason progress is something to monitor heading into 2026.