It feels like the San Diego Padres just can’t catch a break. What was meant to be a positive day for the organization—highlighted by two strong trade deadline moves and encouraging injury updates—quickly turned into a nightmare.
Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta were scheduled to take the mound in Single-A on Tuesday as part of their rehab assignments. Musgrove started the game, with Pivetta set to follow. However, after throwing only a handful of pitches, Pivetta abruptly left the mound and headed straight to the dugout after aggravating his elbow injury. A tough and frustrating moment for Padres fans.
From another perspective, he may have assumed the inning had ended, possibly believing his pitch was called a strike. Still, he never returned to the mound and exited the game, either due to discomfort or because he had reached his pitch limit. The exact reason remains unclear until the team provides further details.
For Padres fans, this development is especially difficult given the team’s ongoing struggles with injuries throughout the season. While there have been flashes of promise, the club is still battling to remain competitive. They were counting on Pivetta’s return to bolster the roster, and losing him would be a significant setback. The rotation has already been among the weakest in the league, largely due to these persistent issues.
Although Robbie Ray and Casey Mize are expected to provide some support, Pivetta was coming off an outstanding season and never truly had the opportunity to build on that success after suffering an early injury. There is still hope he can avoid Tommy John surgery, but regardless, it appears his season may be over.
