'Tremendous leader' Musgrove mentors prospects as Breakout coach

PEORIA, Ariz. -- It¡¯s 40 minutes before first pitch at Peoria Stadium, and a large handful of pitching prospects on the Padres¡¯ Spring Breakout roster have gathered in the outfield, listening intently to one of their coaches.

That coach? None other than Joe Musgrove, who appears to be imparting some sort of wisdom about release point -- lifting his right arm into the air and mimicking the release of a baseball.

Musgrove, of course, hasn¡¯t thrown a ball since he tore the UCL in his right elbow during the National League Wild Card Series last October. He underwent Tommy John surgery shortly thereafter and will miss the 2025 season. On the field, at least.

Musgrove still plans to make an impact. Unlike many rehabbing players, he plans to travel with the team throughout the summer. He¡¯s been with the club throughout Spring Training. Earlier this week, he approached the Padres¡¯ player development staff to ask whether he could join the coaching staff for Friday¡¯s Spring Breakout Game, pitting the Padres top prospects against the A¡¯s top prospects.

¡°These are the guys that are going to be filling in our shoes soon,¡± Musgrove said. ¡°Some of these guys sooner than later. We¡¯ve tried to change things in terms of the way we do things here, start getting the Minor League guys on board with the things that are going on at the big league level. We¡¯re trying to get them exposed to the way we do things up there, so it¡¯s a smoother transition.¡±

For the Padres¡¯ player development staff, it was a no-brainer. They can attempt to impart as much wisdom as they¡¯d like on their young players. It¡¯s not the same as Joe Musgrove doing so. The veteran right-hander is a native San Diegan and one of the most beloved Padres in recent memory.

To the next generation of prospects looking to break through, Musgrove¡¯s words carry weight. He spoke to the team on Thursday, ahead of Friday¡¯s showcase game, then suited up and was in the dugout during the game itself, a 5-2 Padres loss.

¡°Joe's the man,¡± said catcher Ethan Salas, the team¡¯s No. 2 prospect, who went 2-for-4 on Friday. ¡°Joe's always willing to talk to anyone, always open to sharing knowledge. It was good to have him around all the guys to see how he carries himself and how he thinks about the game. I thought that was pretty huge that he was here for us.¡±

Musgrove even made a fifth-inning mound visit. Shortly thereafter, No. 10 prospect Isaiah Lowe proceeded to emerge unscathed from a bases-loaded, none-out jam. (Watch out, pitching coach Ruben Niebla.)

It fits Musgrove¡¯s nature to be extremely active and invested -- even while he¡¯s rehabbing an injury that will keep him out for the entire season. Really, he couldn¡¯t imagine it any other way.

¡°Part of it is for me, too,¡± Musgrove said. ¡°It keeps me sane, to have something to look forward to, having tasks. Speaking to the guys, coming out here, it¡¯s stuff that I haven¡¯t done before. I¡¯m giving myself a little more of a challenge than I would get without it.¡±

But Musgrove is quick to note that that part¡¯s secondary. The real reason he¡¯s so invested in the Padres¡¯ young players is the same reason behind everything else he does.

¡°I¡¯m bought in,¡± Musgrove said. ¡°I want to win. I feel like, now that I have time away from the game and the physical aspect of pitching and preparing for a season, I can dive into some other things that have always been important to me, but I just might not have had the time to put my effort and energy into it.

¡°This is a super important part. I think about the growth that I¡¯ve made since getting to the big leagues -- and I think about the things that would¡¯ve helped me when I¡¯m in the position these guys are in, being right on the verge.¡±

The value of Musgrove¡¯s investment in the organization -- at every level -- is not lost on the Padres.

¡°Joe is such an amazing resource and an ambassador for the city of San Diego and for this team,¡± said special assistant to baseball operations A.J. Ellis, who served as the Padres¡¯ manager on Friday. ¡°He was amazingly generous with his time yesterday, to come deliver a message to the guys -- what it means to be a Padre, what it means to play for the city of San Diego and what it means to be a professional.

¡°He is a tremendous leader and a resource for these guys.¡±