Padres Injury Update: Secret weapon put on the shelf, fans still in the dark on Musgrove

With about two weeks to go in the 2025 regular season, the San Diego Padres have gritted their way to another successful campaign. Just among pitchers alone, the Friars have been bombarded by injuries, and yet, they stand at 81-68 with a postseason berth well-within reach.

Right now, there are two arms to keep an eye out for: David Morgan and Joe Musgrove. Morgan, who had been a secret weapon for San Diego out of the bullpen, hit the injured list a week ago with shoulder inflammation. Musgrove underwent Tommy John surgery last October, but that may not necessarily mean he won't pitch in 2025.

David Morgan, Joe Musgrove are both hopeful of a return to the mound in 2025 for Padres

Both pitchers are optimistic that they can return to the field this season, but it's difficult to confirm either of them doing so. Morgan is young, and it's smart to not mess around with his arm. Shoulder inflammation is no joke, and as we inch closer to the end of a long season, it is difficult to just throw him back out there and expect those shoulder problems to go away.

“It’s something that I said I think I could throw through,” Morgan said on MLB.com. “But with where we’re at in the season, we’re trying to make sure I’m good toward the back end.”

Morgan was filthy this year. When he was on, he was difficult to figure, as he racked up 47 strikeouts across 45 innings in his first MLB season.

As for Musgrove, it would be improbable to see him return to MLB action this season, but there have been hints that he'd like to pitch in 2025. It's unlikely, especially considering there have been baasically zero updates on him in over a month. It might be best to just expect him to stay on the sidelines so he can gear up for 2026 as a key piece to the rotation. But who knows, he could surprise us all and interject that he is fully ready to go for the playoffs. Wishful thinking.