At the MLB Trade Deadline, the Padres added just one starting pitcher, left-hander Martin Perez from the Pirates (which seems like a nice move after he threw 6.0 innings in his San Diego debut). They could probably use another starting pitcher for the final run.

There are chances that they will get a very good one in the near future.

All-Star right-hander Joe Musgrove began his minor league rehab Sunday night by pitching for the Single-A Lake Elsinore Storm against the Fresno Grizzlies. Musgrove is on the 60-day Injury List after dealing with a bone spur in his pitching elbow. He received platelet-rich plasma injections and a cortisone shot to ease the irritation. It was his first major test on his path back to the big leagues.

Ahead of his debut, Musgrove told NBC 7 SportsWrap what he hopes to accomplish.

“Ultimately, I want to go out and get good results, but I think there’s a couple of things we want to accomplish,” Musgrove says. “Making sure I’m placing the ball and being consistent in the zone. Then, how do I maintain my stamina with my speed and other things, do I maintain it or do I go down.”

The only fade was on his cutter. Musgrove threw 43 pitches in 3.1 innings and had a pair of strikeouts. Joe’s fastball was reaching 96 MPH, four miles per hour faster than he averaged before his bone spur diagnosis.

Even more encouraging than the jump in velo is that 35 of his 43 pitches went into strikes. The pitching charts below (courtesy of Baseball Savant) show Musgrove’s fastball location. Left side is 2023. Right side is 2024.

It’s easy to see why hitters are hitting a solid .349 against pitching this year, compared to .205 last year. That’s the effect of the bone spur. It’s inhibiting Musgrove’s ability to fully extend and finish his throws, and causing him to lose consistency with his positioning.

“Physically I feel good, I feel healthy and I feel like I’ve gotten over my elbow problem. The important thing now is to get to the point where I can make the big shots,” Musgrove says.

Sunday’s debut was a positive step, but the next few days will be critical as Musgrove simultaneously monitors the development of his arm and pushes him to build strength and endurance.

“I make sure I do everything I need to do in the workouts, the weight room, the training room and recovery between starts so I give myself the best chance of being there,” Musgrove says.

If he doesn’t feel any pain, Musgrove will likely pitch in the minor leagues once more and then return to the Padres’ rotation for the playoff push.