Musgrove gets clarity on injury, if not recovery

SAN DIEGO -- Joe Musgrove’s second stint on the injured list this season will be significantly longer than his first. That much was clear when the Padres shut Musgrove down from throwing recently.

But the exact time frame for the right-hander's return from the right elbow inflammation and triceps tendinitis that has plagued him for much of the season? TBD. Recent imaging at least offered clarity on the injury itself.

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An MRI revealed a bone spur in Musgrove’s right elbow, and he received a PRP injection -- in addition to the cortisone shot he previously received.

It’s unclear when Musgrove will begin to play catch again, but it won’t be until late June at the earliest. There’s some relief, Musgrove said on Thursday, in knowing that it’s the bone spur that has caused his discomfort. Still, the ever-candid Musgrove noted there’s a possibility that the spur might require arthroscopic surgery -- though he added, “surgery’s not really the question right now.”

Last Friday, Musgrove was scratched from his start against the Royals with a recurrence of the same injury that had landed him on the IL in early May. The first time the injury flared up, Musgrove resumed throwing shortly thereafter and returned from the IL after missing only two trips through the rotation.

“Ultimately,” Musgrove said, “we just didn’t give it enough rest the last time around.”

Here’s the tentative plan: Musgrove will be shut down for at least two weeks. He’ll begin playing catch shortly thereafter. From there, the situation is fluid, but if he feels OK, he’ll begin building up.

“It’s more based on symptoms,” Musgrove said. “If I can go out there and throw pain-free -- or even if there’s a little bit of discomfort, but I can have a clean delivery and feel confident about letting the ball go -- we’ll probably start looking at progressing. But right now, I can’t let the ball go. I don’t trust anything that’s coming out of my hand.”

Musgrove has struggled this season, posting a 5.66 ERA across 10 starts. The 31-year-old made nearly every start from 2019-22. But his ‘23 campaign was also riddled with injuries (though he was still effective, posting a 3.05 ERA in 17 outings).

“I was fortunate enough to stay healthy for a good stretch of time,” Musgrove said. “There were a couple years in a row where I had no injuries, made all my starts. These things just sometimes catch up with you.”

Right-hander Yu Darvish (left groin strain) is also on the IL, though he recently ramped up his throwing progression. Rookies Randy Vásquez and Adam Mazur have replaced that duo in the Padres’ rotation.