Joe Musgrove Injury Update: Latest health status and expected recovery period of Padres star pitcher placed on IL 

The San Diego Padres' playoff push has taken a major blow as the club is expected to be without Joe Musgrove for at least three weeks. An MRI revealed that Musgrove has been suffering from inflammation in his right shoulder capsule, which will keep him out of the rotation for a few weeks.

"Joe Musgrove has inflammation in his right shoulder capsule, A.J. Preller says. He’ll be shut down at least three weeks. Preller adds, “We’re not ruling him out for this year.” - @AJCassavell

While early reports suggest a three-week timeline, San Diego General Manager A.J. Preller said that the club will act in Joe Musgrove's best interests even though they hope he can return before the end of the season.

It will be interesting to see how the club will approach Musgrove's recovery as they are outside a National League Wild Card spot. Currently, the Padres are four games back of the final Wild Card spot, so their ability to close the gap may determine their decisions in regard to Musgrove's return.

The 30-year-old from El Cajon, California has been excellent this season for the San Diego Padres. Through 97.1 innings, Musgrove has posted a 10-3 record with a 3.05 ERA and 1.140 WHIP, while also racking up 97 strikeouts prior to his injury.

"Take out the Mexico City game and Joe Musgrove has a 2.49 ERA, beating teammate Blake Snell for the MLB lead. Musgrove is quietly having his best season yet with two months to go." - @itsjonnysd

How will the San Diego Padres pitching rotation look following Joe Musgrove's placement on the IL?

While the San Diego Padres have several proven veterans such as Blake Snell and Yu Darvish in their pitching rotation, the absence of Musgrove will be felt throughout the squad. It's likely that Nick Martinez will take over Musgrove's spot in the rotation.

"The Padres have reportedly acquired LHP Rich Hill and 1B J-Man Choi from the Pirates." - @MLBNetwork

Prior to the trade deadline, the Padres landed 43-year-old Rich Hill from the Pittsburgh Pirates (as well as Ji-Man Choi) in exchange for prospect Jackson Wolf. It remains to be seen how much they can get out of Hill's veteran arm, but they will need him to step up in the wake of Joe Musgrove's injury.

If San Diego were to run with a traditional five-man rotation, it will likely be: Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, Seth Lugo, Rich Hill, and Nick Martinez. Veteran Michael Wacha is also making his way back from injury, so he could become an option when he is healthy.