Padres Injury News: Joe Musgrove Shut Down for the Season

Another blow for the Padres' pitching staff.

With chances of a Wild Card berth feeling like a pipe dream, the Padres have seemingly conceded that it may be time to start looking ahead to next season. Injuries and inconsistent play have been the undoing for the Friars in 2023, and the latest injury update for RHP Joe Musgrove puts a frustrating bookend on the season.

On Friday, it was announced that the team has essentially ended the right-hander's comeback attempt. MLB.com's AJ Cassavell reports that Musgrove's throwing program had been slowed as the focus shifts toward offseason mode for the pitcher.

The veteran has been sidelined since early August with right shoulder inflammation and had hoped to make a late season comeback. However, that plan was always meant to be contingent on where the Padres were at in the standings.

Entering play on Saturday, the club sits 6.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the National League and would need to leap frog three teams ahead of them to secure a playoff berth. So, the idea of shutting Musgrove down certainly makes sense.

"I want to pitch," Musgrove said this week. "But obviously the risk/reward is not that great. If I go out there and pitch a game that's not leading toward anything for us as a team, then it's not worth it if I go out there and get injured. If we're in a postseason race, pushing to get back, that makes more sense than doing it right now, with what the situation is.”

Via MLB.com

It ends what was another solid but frustrating season for the staff co-ace. He posted a 3.05 ERA but made just 17 starts after missing most of the first month of the season recovering from a toe injury suffered late in spring training (he dropped a weight on his toe).

He made his last start of the season on July 28 against the Rangers at Petco Park.