The San Diego Padres will be without All-Star pitcher Joe Musgrove for at least two weeks after he broke a toe in a weight room accident Monday, manager Bob Melvin confirmed.
The right-handed pitcher injured himself when he dropped a kettlebell on his toe, Melvin said, adding it's difficult to predict his return date.
"It is tough to forecast when you're talking about a broken toe," he said Tuesday. "It will be about how it heals and certainly if it is a pain tolerance thing, Joe would be one of those guys who would be sooner than later."
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Musgrove, 30, went 10-7 with a 2.93 ERA last season and is starting a $100 million, five-year contract this season. The more time he’s sidelined, the longer it will take for him to get back on track, Melvin cautioned.
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"He is not starting over. But the longer you go, the more it gets closer to starting over," Melvin said. "Joe is a guy who keeps himself in really good shape."
The Padres open their season March 30 against Colorado. Yu Darvish and Nick Martinez will be the likely options for a starter in Musgrove’s absence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
