Joe Musgrove is officially ready to join the San Diego Padres, and after a rehab that felt like an eternity, he’s bringing some serious heat nobody saw coming. This dude last pitched way back on Oct. 2, 2024, in Game 2 of the National League Wild Card series against the Atlanta Braves. He walked off that mound knowing his elbow was cooked. Turns out, he’d been pitching with a partial UCL tear for most of that 2024 season, just grinding until he couldn’t anymore.
The Long, Gritty Road Back To The Mound
Talk about a gut punch. Musgrove had to go through UCL repair surgery, meaning all of the 2025 season was dedicated to rehabbing from Tommy John. Can you imagine that grind? He finally got to spring camp in February 2026, hoping to make a mid-season comeback. The original plan was to build him up slowly for a late-season push, but after just one start in the spring, it was obvious he needed more time. The Padres shut him down again, and honestly, things didn’t really start looking up until July. That’s a long, frustrating wait for any player, especially a guy who loves to compete.
That Fastball? It’s Back With A Vengeance
But all that work is finally paying off. Musgrove just wrapped up three minor league rehab starts, and the results, while not important, showcased something truly wild. His first outing was on Aug. 4 with Single-A Lake Elsinore, going 2.2 innings on 39 pitches, giving up a homer but walking no one. He reported feeling good the next day. Then, on Aug. 9, with Triple-A El Paso, he went 3.1 innings, throwing 53 pitches, hitting 93-95 mph on his fastball. His third start, again for the Chihuahuas, saw him go 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits, a homer, a walk, and striking out five on 70 pitches.
Now, everyone knows rehab start results are basically ignored, just like during Spring Training. You’re working on pitches, location, specific goals. What *was* important, though? His fastball velocity. Musgrove was consistently sitting 93-97 mph! He touched 97 mph in the first inning, hit 96 in the fourth, and 95 in the fifth. Think about that for a second. Jeff Saunders from the San Diego Union-Tribune pointed out that Musgrove hasn’t hit 97 mph in a big league game since 2017. Before his surgery, he was usually 90-93 mph. Yeah, his location might have suffered a bit with that increased velocity, but who cares when you’re throwing heat like that post-surgery?
What This Means For The Padres’ Rotation
This is huge for San Diego. The Padres rotation has been struggling, battling “pitching chaos” for the last month, often without more than two reliable starters. GM A.J. Preller made some moves at the trade deadline, bringing in righty Casey Mize and lefty Robby Ray to shore things up. They’re already joining Michael King and Walker Buehler. But adding a fully-loaded Joe Musgrove, throwing harder than he has in years, changes everything for that rotation. Musgrove’s return with this kind of velocity is a game-changer. Get ready, the Padres are about to roll out a deep rotation.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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