Mike Shildt Still Backing Joe Musgrove Despite Recent Struggles

As the season continues on for the Padres, they have a lot of work to do. They entered the year looking to change the narrative around themselves after a failed 2023 season.

However, the team has floated around the .500 mark early on, currently sitting with a record of 14-15 on the year. San Diego has been trying to break through but inconsistent performances from players have hurt them. This includes starter Joe Musgrove, who hasn't been very good through the early part of the year.

In his most recent outing, Musgrove only went 3.2 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed seven runs on eight hits, including four home runs. On the year, he holds an ERA of 6.94 in 35 innings of work.

Despite this, his manager, Mike Shildt, is still backing his starter.

“The stuff’s there. The crispness of pitches have been there recently. The breaking ball’s been there. The slider’s improved. The fastball’s had some life to it,” Shildt said. “It’s just about being able to finish out hitters, and sometimes you run through a place where you’re over the plate a little bit too much and you pay for it, and Joe’s in that mix a little bit. He’ll be fine."

The Padres are going to need Musgrove to get back on track fairly quickly. He has seen moments this year but has yet to put together any consistency.

“I mean, it’s Joe Musgrove. The care factor is super high. The work ethic’s off the charts. The dedication to this team being great is high. And he’s delivered for this organization quite a bit, and there’s a lot of bright moments in the future for Joe. … I know it’s eating at him a little bit, but it only fuels Joe. So, I’m confident he’s gonna be in a good spot for a long time this season.”

If Musgrove continues to struggle, the Padres may have some hard decisions to make. They want to stay relevant within the NL West division and can't afford many more poor performances, even from someone at the top of their starting rotation.

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