Joe Musgrove's latest 2026 note is exactly what Padres fans want to hear

The San Diego Padres are going to need Joe Musgrove to be productive right out of the gate. Losing Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish means that someone will have to step forward and make up for that lost production.

Enter Joe Musgrove, who underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2024. Musgrove, now 33 years old, is revved up and ready to reenter the Friars' starting rotation. Musgrove was even hopeful of a return at the end of 2025, but setbacks called for him to be on the shelf until the new year.

So what does that mean for a pitcher over 30 years old coming back from a tough procedure? Well, new manager Craig Stammen went on Foul Territory TV and shared that Musgrove will not be held back with an innings limit in 2026. It sounds risky, but if Musgrove feels good, there is no reason to put a cap on his time out on the mound.

Padres' Joe Musgrove enters 2026 without an innings limit hanging over his head

Musgrove already has a reputation for being a good teammate and a hard worker. It's going to be difficult convincing him to hand the ball over to Stammen after three or four innings of work. And Stammen understands that. At this point in Musgrove's career, he is going to give everything he has, especially if his health is in check.

Throughout Musgrove's career, he's gone for 180 or more innings in a single season twice, as well as 170-plus frames one other time. He's thrown two complete games, including the first no-hitter in Padres history. He's also gone eight or more innings two more times in his career. On top of that, Musgrove has 33 more appearances where he pitched seven full frames.

He is a workhorse. Having Tommy John surgery is not going to change that about Musgrove. It's hard for a pitcher to change his ways, though Musgrove may be forced to under his circumstances. But for the time being, Musgrove is a guy who expects to pitch at least two times through the order.

Taking that away from him can adversely affect his game if he knows there is a cap on his innings. Allowing Joe Musgrove to be Joe Musgrove will be advantageous for the Padres in 2026. The team knows they'll need him to be his old self again, but let's start out by hoping he feels strong the first few times out on the mound.