San Diego Padres star hurler Joe Musgrove won’t let injury recovery keep him from being around the team in 2025.
Padres: Joe Musgrove is dedicated to being present in 2025
Per Maren Angus-Coombs of San Diego Padres on SI, Musgrove had this to say about his intentions for next season while he recovers from Tommy John surgery:
“I just know, like, I see how some people are when they’re on the (injured list), especially guys that are, like, key players and leadership pieces,” Musgrove said. “When those guys aren’t around, or they’re around and they’re not in the dugout and they’re, like, hanging out in the clubhouse during games, and they’re not engaged, and it’s kind of like vacation mode.
“One, it kind of pisses me off. Two, it’s like you’re still a part of the team. … I’ve been around guys that have been through not playing for a year, and they’re like, high energy every day. They’re like, into the game, as if they’re going to have some kind of effect on it, even though they’re not.
“It’s like they still feel like they carry the stress of like, ‘It’s (expletive) go time, it’s game time.’ And that lifts everybody around. It lifted me when I was a young guy. So I want to kind of be that presence.”
Musgrove’s presence will be pivotal for Padres
San Diego is entering the upcoming campaign down a couple of standout pieces from last time out. Therefore, they’ll need all of their stars to be on their A-Game. A veteran presence like Musgrove figures to help team morale.
Several of the 32-year-old’s teammates value his leadership. Though his rotation mates are established veterans with the star power of their own, Musgrove can still be a positive voice in the clubhouse and on game days.
Musgrove is also striving to make his return in 2025 despite the tantalizing surgery. Should he be able to and carry over his productivity from 2024, where he went 6-5 with a solid 3.88 ERA, he’d be a great No. 4 or backend option for the Padres late in the year.