Padres' Joe Musgrove shares good news following latest bullpen session
Fortunately, the Padres got some good news from a starter amid his injury recovery. According to an article from Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune, Padres starter Joe Musgrove had a positive update to share after his latest bullpen session.
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"It went really well," Musgrove said." I feel great right now."
The Padres' starter has been recovering from Tommy John surgery and is slowly ramping up his recovery process. This update from Musgrove is a great sign that things are trending in the right direction.
Such a sentiment was shared by Musgrove, as he acknowledged he is "Trending in the right direction" after his latest bullpen session. While he's still a little ways away from a "full-go bullpen," Musgrove is getting closer to a potential return.
A postseason run will work best for Musgrove, as he's most likely to pitch out of the bullpen for the Padres if the team can go on a postseason run in October. Taking Musgrove's recovery slowly is the right path to take.
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MORE: Padres get bad news on Braves catchers' trade availability
Rushing him back could cause more issues down the road for the Padres. With the potential departures of Michael King and Dylan Cease in the offseason, forcing Musgrove back wouldn't do the Padres well in the future.
Musgrove is signed to a huge five-year, $100 million deal through the 2027 season. The former All-Star is looking to get back to his former self after a rough 2024, where he finished with a 3.88 ERA.
In 2022, his All-Star season, Musgrove finished with a career-best 2.93 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 181 innings pitched. He helped lead the Padres to the NLCS in the 2022 postseason, and between his three starts in that run and his one start in 2024, Musgrove has a 2.82 postseason ERA for the Padres.
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Getting such a player back for this year's postseason would be huge. He's taking his time in his recovery, and this latest update from Musgrove himself is a great sign that the Padres are getting one of their top starters back this season.
He's still got a ways to go, but this is, as Musgrove said, a sign his recovery is "trending in the right direction."
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