MLB didn’t wait until the first week of spring training was over to pick up the first freaky injury of the season, and it’s linked to the San Diego Padres All-Star.
Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove was ruled out with a broken left big toe after dropping a kettlebell on him in the team’s gym. AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
Padres manager Bob Melvin did not provide a specific timetable for Musgrove’s return. when talking to journalists after the news broke, but noted that it would be at least two weeks before Musgrove started throwing:
“It will be at least two weeks before he starts throwing again, so we’ll see. It’s hard to predict when your toe is broken. pain tolerance, Joe would be one of those guys who would sooner or later, but obviously we have to assess how he feels every day and we’ll see where we go.”
Melvin later confirmed that it would be at least two weeks after Musgrove started throwing before he was ready to return, casting doubt on his Opening Day readiness.
Joe Musgrove has been the Padres’ best pitcher in the last two seasons.
Losing Musgrove will be a hard blow for the Padres, who consider the right-hander their most consistent presence on the mound since they acquired him in trade two years ago. Over two seasons, the 30-year-old San Diego native had a 3.06 ERA in 362.1 innings with 387 strikeouts, a 3.64 FIP and a 1,082 WHIP. He earned his first All-Star appearance last year.
The Padres rewarded that performance with a five-year, $100 million extension last year that takes effect this season.
However, the loss of Musgrove may not have meant a major upheaval for the Padres rotation, as the team was hoping to start the season with a six-man rotation Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Michael Vacha, Nick Martinez and Seth Lugo. Instead, they will likely roll out the last five pitchers until Musgrove returns.
Musgrove’s injury wasn’t the worst news for rival NL West on Tuesday either, as the defending division champion Los Angeles Dodgers confirmed starting shortstop Gavin Lux would be out this season with an ACL tear.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
