"Musgrove is working back from a 2024 Tommy John surgery that wiped out all of last season. King was limited to 15 starts last year by a nerve issue in his shoulder and a knee injury. While King is pitching without any restrictions this spring, the Padres are playing things more cautiously with Musgrove."
"Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Musgrove has thrown one bullpen session within the past week. The Padres are understandably bringing him along slowly and haven't announced when he'll make his next game appearance. Both Acee and AJ Cassavell of MLB.com suggest he may not be fully built up by Opening Day."
"That could open an opportunity for Walker Buehler, who is in camp as a non-roster invite. If there's only one rotation spot available, that's likelier to go to Germán Márquez. Márquez signed a big league contract and is guaranteed $1.75MM. He's going to make the team, and the Padres don't have a ton of roster flexibility in the bullpen to carry him as a long reliever."
The San Diego Padres entered spring training with Nick Pivetta, Michael King, and Joe Musgrove as their top three starting pitchers, with Randy Vásquez expected to claim the fourth spot. However, significant injury concerns complicate their rotation plans. Musgrove is working back from 2024 Tommy John surgery and has limited game action, with reports suggesting he may not be fully built up by Opening Day. Michael King dealt with shoulder and knee injuries last season but is pitching without restrictions this spring. The Padres are cautiously managing Musgrove's workload and may need to utilize depth starters early in the season. This situation creates potential opportunities for non-roster invitees like Walker Buehler or guaranteed contract signings like Germán Márquez to secure rotation spots.
#padres-rotation #joe-musgrove-injury-recovery #spring-training #starting-pitchers #roster-decisions
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