Padres Slow Musgrove’s Ramp-Up, Weigh Rotation Contingencies

Overview

• Joe Musgrove, 17 months removed from Tommy John surgery, has no next start scheduled and is being evaluated day to day after saying his arm "feels like I had surgery."
• In his March 4 outing against Great Britain’s WBC team, Musgrove threw 60 pitches over three innings, used a seven-pitch mix and averaged 94.1 mph on his fastball.
• Beat reporting indicates he may not be fully built up by Opening Day, and a brief IL stint or limited early workload remains in play.
• San Diego can navigate early weeks with two off days by using a temporary four-man rotation or a depth starter without overextending the staff.
• Germán Márquez holds a guaranteed roster spot, Walker Buehler is a non-roster invite with a late-March opt-out, and the club is also assessing bridge options Ron Marinaccio, Kyle Hart and Logan Gillaspie, with Marinaccio and Gillaspie out of options.