Reinforcements on the way for Padres?
Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-USA TODAY Sports
Three key players may return soon for the San Diego Padres.
The goal for the 2024 San Diego Padres is a World Series title.
Anything short will be deemed a failure. Just making the playoffs is not adequate enough for A.J. Preller.
This trade season, the team acquired several pitchers to revamp the bullpen and assist at the tail end of the rotation. Tanner Scott and Jason Adam are an excellent 1-2 punch and arguably capable of closing out games. Bryan Hoeing and Martin Perez provide depth for the starting staff. The Padres did well to solidify the overall roster.
However, three team additions could pay huge dividends in the coming weeks and months.
Injuries are part of the game. Xander Bogaerts missed significant time earlier this year with a shoulder problem. The Padres survived the loss of their middle infielder as Donovan Solano played exceptionally for the Padres and endeared himself to the fans.
At present, the Padres have three individuals on the I.L. who are considered core roster members. When they return to action, these men will be a welcomed sight.
One player is on his way back, another is reportedly close to returning to action, and with the third player, it’s a little more complicated.
The San Diego Padres are excited as Musgrove started a game Sunday for the Lake Elsinore Storm.
The right-handed pitcher went 3.1 innings and allowed two earned runs on four hits in Fresno. He struck out two in the game, and his velocity was in the 94-96 mph range. His shoulder looks healthy at the moment, and that is a big sigh of relief for the Padres. They will need his veteran presence in the rotation to compete for a playoff spot. No-no Joe has not toed the rubber for the Padres since May 26.
Musgrove will join the Padres on the road in Pittsburgh this week, and the team will determine his next move. The veteran could throw one more rehab game and join the rotation by mid-August.
At the time of his injury, Fernando Tatis Jr. was starting to swing a hot bat for the Padres. Tatis was 27-for-74 (.365) with a 1.062 OPS in June as he succumbed to injury and was placed on the I.L. The Padres were not specific about his injury, and honestly, his return is still cloudy at best.
When asked about Tatis last Monday on MLB Radio, manager Mike Shildt indicated that things are still up in the air after his triceps injury. “Progress has been continually positive and favorable,” Shildt said. “We’re on the slippery slope of how long versus starting to ramp up activity. Good news is a lot of swelling and some of just the day-to-day issues with him just moving around or eliminated for pain goes. Now it’s a matter of increasing a little bit of the stress, seeing how he handles that. But we’re still a couple of weeks away from what that looks like, and we’re ramping up as we go. So it’s really kind of a murky timetable.”
A healthy Tatis would extend the Padres lineup and provide an MVP-caliber player. The Padres are chomping at the bit for his return. It sounds like we will know more in the coming weeks. A return in early September seems possible for Tatis. But who really knows?
Not much is known about Yu Darvish’s future for the 2024 season. He left the team in early July for personal reasons.
Manager Mike Shildt called his absence “a personal matter involving his family.” The situation has not been made clear out of respect for the Japanese veteran.
Darvish last pitched on May 29 and is the least likely of the three men listed to return to the Padres. Even if his family issue is resolved, Darvish missed time this season with an elbow injury and a calf strain. He will need time to get innings under his belt to be useful late in the season for the Padres. The clock is ticking for Darvish in 2024.
If the Padres were to get anything from these men, then their playoff odds increase dramatically. Musgrove is already close, and Tatis could be weeks away from contributing. We will see about Darvish.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.